Success Advice
4 Principles That Convey What Working Hard & Smart Really Means
Everybody who has looked on social media for some inspiration has come across the quote, “Don’t work hard, work smart”. When you scroll down to the comment section under the post you find people commenting; ‘why not do both?’ These people couldn’t be more accurate than proposing to work hard and smart at the same time. But still, this description to achieve success is still vague and it doesn’t give you any practical advice. Everyone has his or her own definition about working hard and being smart, so what does this exactly mean?
The phenomenon that provides a clear answer to these vague descriptions about working hard and smart is called deliberate practice. Simply said, deliberate practice is the conscious decision to better yourself every day and it separates the successful from the unsuccessful people. Thankfully, deliberate practice has nothing to do with being gifted or being born in the right environment. It has everything to do with working smart and hard…but the right way.
Below are 4 principles that convey what working ‘hard & smart’ really means:
1. Focus on specific aspects
Don’t try to become better at everything all at once. Instead, focus on the areas that you need to improve. One thing many successful people are able to do is separate their strengths from their weaknesses so that they get a clear and truthful overview of their capabilities. To get a good overview of your own capabilities, ask people who are close to you to their opinions on what your best qualities are and in which other areas you can improve.
Furthermore, also reflect back on your own journey to find out what went well and where things got difficult. By really targeting the areas you need to improve, you’ll be a lot more efficient and therefore you will make much more progress than just improving something based on your intuition.
“Life is about growing and improving and getting better.” – Conor McGregor
2. Practicing creates progress
If you’re an athlete and you need to improve your physique, go to the gym more often. If you’re an entrepreneur and you need to become more skilled in a certain area, practice more. The only way to become better at something is to repeat the process, until you don’t want to do it anymore. And even then you still have to be disciplined enough to do the same thing over and over again.
Every successful person had to focus on his/her craft first before they could show to the world how great they were. It’s only when you’ve trained or practiced something enough that your skill level will become above-average. Otherwise you’ll just be good, not great. Lasting success won’t come easy and it certainly won’t come to you when you decide to quit when times get hard.
3. Find someone who is better
This is very important to achieve success much faster. Every person who has become immensely successful had someone they could learn from. Tiger Woods & Wolfgang Mozart had their fathers as mentors. Warren Buffet was being mentored by Alexander Graham to become known as the ‘Oracle of Omaha’.
These mentors were like teachers to them. They always saw room for improvement in their protégé’s and they made sure they didn’t make the same mistakes as they did. So, essentially they reduced the learning curve and therefore they progressed much faster than when without a mentor.
Luckily, in today’s world it’s not necessary anymore to find a person who has already accomplished what you want to achieve. So many successful people in all areas of life have written down what they did and how they did it. If you can’t find a real-life mentor use books as a reflection on your own process. Study the processes of the people who are authorities in your niche and try to associate it to your own journey.
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward
4. It takes mental focus
Hustling isn’t supposed to be fun if you’re doing it the right way. You have to make sacrifices, you have to overcome obstacles, you need to practice until the point that you want to quit, and you have to deal with people’s misunderstandings and misconceptions of your behavior.
These are just a few obstacles of the many that you’ll face when you’re on the road to success. That’s why you need to be mentally strong, because if you get scared easily by all these different distractions, then becoming successful will be even harder than it already is.
What are your thoughts on the saying “Don’t work hard, work smart?” Leave your thoughts below!
Image Courtesy of Twenty20.com
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While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
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1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
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3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
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9. Eliminate Favoritism
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10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
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Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
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Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
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