Leaders have a choice to make. Should they imitate what has already been successfully done, or innovate away from the past and chart their own course?

Can a career be summed up in three words: Imitate or Innovate?

In my career I have found that the answer to the question on whether to imitate or innovate is – it depends.

Imitation is preferred when you are following success. Innovation is preferred when you are defining success.

Sometimes your job is to do it the right way; sometimes it’s to invent the right way.

Imitation has its purpose in learning from those that have successfully accomplished what you desire.

George Bernard Shaw said, “Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery – it’s the sincerest form of learning.”

And Niccolo Maachiavelli wrote in his book The Prince, “A prudent man will always try to follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been truly outstanding, so that, if he is not quite as skillful as they, at least some of their ability may rub off on him.”

However, we all have different strengths, our own style of leadership. For that individual part of us, innovation is the choice.Tom Peters summed up the question on imitation or innovation by saying, “Swipe from the best, then adapt.”

For those who are at the fork in the road and have to decide if they should imitate or innovate, I say,

Imitate what you have learned from others that worked, but innovate in your own style of implementing those successes.