“I have been reading this book,” Hanna said, a bit frustrated. “It’s called Nine Principles, but I am having difficulty applying it to my executive team.”

“And, that’s a surprise?” I asked. “Is the author of the book in a leadership role?”

“Yes, he runs a very large company,” she replied. “In the same industry as us. That’s why I bought the book.”

“I see,” I said. “Tell me, do you think you are similar enough to the author and the author’s company and circumstances are similar enough to yours, that if you just copied the Nine Principles, you would get the same results?”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Hanna said with hope in her voice.

“The pattern for a great leader is rarely the pattern for another,” I said. “Usually when patterns are similar, it is simply a recipe for mediocrity. Mediocre leaders copy mediocre leaders and so the spiral goes. Tell me what is different about your circumstances. Tell me what is different about your team. Tell me what is different about you. That’s the book you should read.”