Success Advice
6 Reasons Why Working More Isn’t Optimal for Your Business

To be successful in the new age of small business, you need to think about things in new ways, you need to do things in new ways, as well as say goodbye to habits and dogmas that no longer serve you.
One of the biggest concepts that needs to change is how you view work. No longer are you confined by corporate policies or expectations around the hours you work. Most business owners are paid for the end product, the services they provide, their expertise and their knowledge.
In order to continue to innovate and evolve in business, you need to understand why working more does not work for small business. Read the 5 reasons below:
1. It is not about working more or harder, it is about working smarter
The great American work ethic is defined by ‘hard work’, and in true American fashion, if a little is good, then more must be better! That’s not so in business.
Dedication, determination and consistency are important to being successful in small business – but working smarter means you get to your goals quicker with more resources, energy and brainpower to take things to the next level.
One of the biggest reasons businesses fail is because they physically reach a point where the business owner and their staff just can not work more. There are no more hours to work because the resource of time has been exhausted.
Working smarter is a key habit that creates scalability in your small business, which benefits your employees, your clients and your family. Scalability is the gateway to building a legacy that contributes and impacts everyone who touches your business. Scalability brings profits and freedom.
2. It is not about doing the work, it is about ensuring the work gets done
Most business owners start their business because they find that they were really good at their corporate careers, but want the freedom that entrepreneurship can bring.
You are used to doing the work, so it is really hard to let it go. It’s not surprising that you may find value in doing a ‘good job’ or by doing the work that ‘no one can do like me’. This is a trap that will forever limit your ability to grow and scale. Gone are the days where you can be successful in a silo.
While you are working on building the stability of predictable cash and clients in the business, you most likely will be doing the work of servicing those clients, while still carrying out the responsibilities of being the owner. This is what you do in this stage of business growth. When you reach cash stability, it is time to define how the work gets done so that you can work ‘on’ the business, not just ‘in’ the business.
In order to scale richly in your business, you’ll need to transition out of the ‘worker’ role in order to transition into the ‘manager’ role, and eventually transition into the true role as an entrepreneur leading an organization into profits.
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.” – Tim Ferriss
3. Busyness does not make a good business
You can get a little lost in business to the point where you aren’t sure what to do next. Or sometimes, you know what to do – you just don’t want to. So you avoid it by getting caught up in the busyness of the business. Busyness is energy and time wasted on unimportant and non-urgent tasks that do not move the needle in your business.
As an employee, you are often rewarded when you ‘look busy’ – so you get really good at it. The average productivity of a working day is a mere 3 hours. What you are doing with the rest of your time matters. Your time is precious, spend it on revenue or result-oriented action. Scaling your business is knowing the difference between what there is to do and what needs to be done.
4. Hustle and Grind leads to Broke & Tired
“Hustle and Grind” makes for a great motivational poster and shareable quote, but hustling without clear goals and results, often leads to burnout. Women business owners have a special gift to take ‘Hustle and Grind’ to a whole other level, and not in a good way. When you spend every single moment working, you often lose your health, your joy and get lost in a circular loop that leads nowhere.
There’s also this ‘unspoken’ belief that you have to earn your way and pay your dues which drives many owners to ‘Hustle and Grind’. That creates a negative space that does not create success. ‘Inspired Action’ and the KISS method tend to produce more gains than ‘Hustle and Grind’. When in doubt, see #1.
Scaling your small business successfully means that there are time periods of intensity, launching and pushing – but they are periods. They are not meant to be the status quo. You are not a machine, you are a human.
“Balance isn’t something you achieve “someday.” – Nick Vujicic
5. All work and no play makes Jane a cranky girl
The most unhappy small business owners are the ones working the hardest. Their faces say it all – bags under their eyes, dull skin and cranky attitudes. Overworking and not enjoying life leads to resentment. The saying that, “Entrepreneurs give up working 40 hour jobs, so they can work 80 hours in their business”, is an unfortunate story for many business owners.
If you really want the freedom that can come along with owning your business, you need to live it from day one. You need to design your business to deliver that freedom. Waiting for ‘someday’ winds up becoming ‘never’ for many entrepreneurs because they can’t break the habit.
Positivity in a business owner is contagious. People want to be around it in whatever way they can. When you lead a more balanced life, you encourage others to do so as well. Think of it as an attractive form of marketing.
6. Even Formula 1 racers take pit stops
Learn to value the “in-between.” Ever wonder why you have your best ideas in the shower, or in the middle of the night? Chances are, that’s because you are not working. The biggest value you can have in the success of your small business is to solve problems. It is the inspired ideas, the simple solutions that come to you in these moments that drive you forward.
This also speaks to the fact that to be successful in business you need to take care of your physical and spiritual health, so when you do reach your finish line, there is enough of you left over to enjoy the success. Just like the racers, learn to take pit stops. Sometimes, in order to speed up, you need to slow down.
The more successful you are in your business, the more demands you have on your time. The greatest asset in your business becomes you. You need moments of rest, recovery and ‘in-between’ to allow your greatness to flourish.
You do not earn a gold star for ‘working more’ in business, yet so many business owners let busyness become their distraction of choice and wonder why they are not able to grow and scale their businesses.
The best businesses are often simple. The most successful businesses are singularly focused. The wealthiest people say no the most. These are the skills you need to be able to scale your business richly.
What is one thing you learned from this article? Share your thoughts below!
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Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
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
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
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
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
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.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
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.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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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
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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