The French Thief - Why Great Leaders Copy

The Art of Smart Theft

We talk a lot about originality in business. The big idea. The breakthrough moment. The leader who sees what no one else sees. But when you look closely at how real success is built, a quieter skill appears again and again: the ability to copy well. Not to plagiarise. Not to steal intellectual property. But to notice what works, borrow it intelligently, adapt it thoughtfully, and then improve it.

Years ago, when I was a golf caddie at North Berwick West Golf Club, I was also writing The Entrepreneur’s Book – The Crucial Why Questions That Determine Success. In Chapter 12, I tell the story of Philippe – the “French Thief.” Philippe owned a golf course in Normandy, which he had designed himself. As we walked down the fairway, he told me how he had done it.

He had travelled across Europe and America visiting great golf courses and deliberately copied his favourite holes. Two of them, on his own course, were inspired directly by North Berwick’s famous 15th, ‘’Redan’’ and 16th holes, ‘’Gate’’. What is really interesting her,  Philippe did not create a clone. He created something new by combining what already worked elsewhere on individual holes. His course reflected his taste, his standards, and his experience. Copying was not a shortcut for him. It was his strategy.

Most breakthroughs in business are not radical inventions; they are refinements. Copying allows you to learn from other people’s mistakes, their successes, adopt proven methods faster, reduce uncertainty, and focus your creativity on improvement rather than invention. Successful businesses work the same way: we copy what works, we improve it, and we pass it on. Austin Kleon, the author of Steal Like an Artist, puts it beautifully when he says, “Start copying what you love. Copy, copy, copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself.” Even that quote, he admits, was borrowed from someone else. The irony is the point. Nothing meaningful is created in isolation.

Every Breakthrough Is Borrowed

Still not convinced? Then let me ask you another question: who invented the printing press? Like many people, for years my answer was Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. That is what I was taught at school and, unless I am mistaken, it is what most people would still say today. But here is the interesting thing: that answer is wrong. The oldest known printed text is The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist book from China, printed around 868 AD using carved wooden blocks. A couple of centuries later, a man called Bi Sheng developed movable type using clay characters. Then, in 1297, Wang Chen improved the process by using wood and inventing a revolving table so typesetters could work faster. Only around 150 years later did Gutenberg replace wood with metal and create what we now call the European printing press.

And the story does not stop there. Nearly 600 years later, in 1968, Evelyn Berezin, a computer designer invented the first word processor, which led to electronic printing. Today, I am typing this article on my iMac and could print it wirelessly from my phone if I wanted to. So, who invented the printing press? It evolved through copying, adapting, and improving ideas over hundreds of years.

Imitation With Intent

However, a word of caution: not all copying is equal. Bad copying is lazy – one source, blind imitation, no understanding. Good copying is creative – many sources, deep understanding, and thoughtful adaptation. It is the difference between cloning and composing.

If you want to make this practical, try something simple. Choose three organisations you admire. For each one, identify one process, one behaviour, and one strategic decision you respect. Then ask yourself, “How could we adapt this to our world?” Don’t copy  exactly what they do, but try understanding why it works well and think how could we adopt it to my organisation.

Most leaders, I would argue, are obsessed with being original. But when you really think about it, where do “original” ideas actually come from?

From copying. And then copying again. And again.

Ironically, those who chase originality often stand still.

So if you want to grow faster, lead better, and build something that lasts, embrace the role of the respectful French thief. You will be in very good company.