When it comes to success, the age-old debate of working smarter vs. harder often takes centre stage. But do you really have to choose? Or is it about knowing when to lean into one or the other?

The Smarter Approach

Working smarter means leveraging tools, strategies, and priorities to maximise efficiency. It’s about:

• Prioritising impact: Focusing on the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of results.
• Streamlining processes: Using technology and workflows to eliminate redundancy.
• Saying no strategically: Avoiding burnout by choosing quality over quantity.

➤ When to lean into working smarter:

• Facing tight deadlines.
• Juggling competing priorities.
• Seeking long-term, sustainable productivity.

The Harder Approach

Sometimes, rolling up your sleeves and putting in the extra effort is unavoidable. Hard work builds resilience, credibility, and mastery.

➤ When to lean into working harder:

• Learning a new skill.
• Solving complex challenges where persistence is key.
• Leading by example to inspire your team.

The Balance

The truth is, success often demands both.

• Start with smart planning, then commit to hard execution.
• Use hard work to push through when smarter options aren’t available, yet.
• Continuously evaluate your efforts: Are you getting results, or just staying busy?

Ask Yourself:

• Am I solving the right problem? (Smarter work)
• Am I giving it my full focus and effort? (Harder work)

The real magic happens when you combine the two, strategic intelligence backed by relentless action.