Dress for success

Thys Cronje
2 min readNov 18, 2023

Elton John did not achieve success due to the way he dressed; neither did Steve Jobs nor Elon Musk.

Photo by Alexander Naglestad on Unsplash

Still, many believe that the attire forms an integral part of the success.

In the ’70s, Richard Feynman warned us about cargo cult science. The practice is where a less developed group imitates a more developed one, intending to obtain the same level of success (cargo).

Even today, we are seeing various levels of pseudoscience. We see dictators dressing up as a general, with the complete entire and a chest full of medals. Does it turn him into a great leader? No.

Nadal is one of the most outstanding sportspersons who graced the tennis court of the world. Many will say it is due to the rituals he follows, but few recognize the sacrifices he made.

It is tempting to copy what we see on TV. However, what happens behind the scenes creates the magic.

Many start-up founders use the same level of pseudoscience. They believe that by mimicking their idles, they will achieve success. Or a fancy title will bring them the pot of gold. Only a few will recognize the efforts that went into the business and market development processes.

Bottom line: Great leaders don’t succeed because of how they dress or act. They are on a mission to solve real-world problems and inspire the communities around them.

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Thys Cronje

Founder, entrepreneur and introvert. Daily blogger and lover of everything agile. www.quiet-entrepreneur.com