Borrow Bravely

Nearly every great idea I’ve had has a lineage: a borrowed phrase, a peer group insight, a book, a casual comment that just clicked. One of the smartest things I’ve done in 25 years is surround myself with thoughtful, generous people who are also figuring things out too, and stay open to stealing shamelessly from the best of them.

I spent over a decade in TruMethods Winner’s Circle groups, and the impact on Smart Dolphins (and on me personally) is hard to overstate. If you’re reading this and you were part of that journey: thank you. Some of my best ideas were yours first. And being around you helped me grow more than any business book ever could.

Borrowing bravely isn’t cheating. It’s how ideas evolve. And it only works if you’re humble enough to admit you don’t have all the answers. The real challenge is knowing how to borrow: what to adopt, what to adapt, and what to toss aside entirely.

Copying vs. Borrowing

Copying is mindless. Borrowing bravely is discerning. Sometimes, the smartest move is to use something exactly as you found it. If it rolls smoothly, don’t file the edges just to make it your own. But more often, a great idea becomes a launchpad for something new.

Troy McCollum, a peer of mine once shared his idea for “Vision Lunches” where he brought people together to discuss their vision and strategy. I loved the concept AND I also reimagined it as “Culture Lunches” at Smart Dolphins: small gatherings where we talk about culture challenges or survey feedback in an open, collaborative space. Same spirit, different expression.

What Works, What Doesn’t

Not every borrowed idea fits. I’ve adopted ideas that seemed brilliant on stage or in a book, only to realize later they didn’t match our market or culture. Aggressive sales tactics, for example, drive proven results for many MSPs, including my peers. However, after years of attempts to replicate that success, we realized these same tactics just don’t resonate with who Smart Dolphins is and how we naturally build trust in our local market (West Coast Canadians are just different).

We’ve also been drawn to shiny tools with big promises, some that delivered, many that didn’t. Over time, we’ve gotten better at telling the difference, and faster.

That’s part of the game. The point isn’t to avoid mistakes. It’s to be a good curator. Experience, judgment, and even a little taste go a long way. So does testing. Some of our best changes came from firing bullets before cannonballs (thanks Jim for that borrowed idea).

Filtering the Noise

There are more business ideas flying around today than ever. Everyone has a framework. Everyone has a fix. It can be overwhelming. What helps us filter at SD?

• Clear strategy
• Knowing who we are as a company
• Understanding our current capacity and constraints (ideas require execution)
• Thinking in terms of systems and leverage, not hype
• Asking: will this meaningfully improve our ability to deliver value to clients?

Borrowing bravely isn’t about being unoriginal. It’s about remixing. It’s about learning in public. It’s about recognizing that originality is often just smart recombination.

So here’s to everyone I’ve borrowed from and to those borrowing from me: let’s keep going. That’s how we all get better.

What’s this 25/25 stuff about?: 25 YEARS, 25 INSIGHTS – Reflections on Growth, Leadership and Resilience | Smart Dolphins IT Solutions Inc.