Want more success? Work SMARTER not HARDER!

I give around 50 speeches every year worldwide. I love providing information on how to be a successful entrepreneur to both those just starting out or those already on the path. Unfortunately, most of the time I give these speeches I fly in, speak, then leave, which completely robs me of my favorite thing to do: Connect with entrepreneurs.  

My packed schedule doesn’t allow me to dive deep into the dreams of budding businesspeople. And it certainly doesn’t provide me the opportunity to ask about progress, which is crucial in the entrepreneurial journey—especially when the audience is receiving advice from other coaches that I find less than helpful (to say the least).

Maybe you’ve, too, heard speakers use a ‘lack of hustle’ as one of the many barriers holding entrepreneurs back from success. I’ve seen coaches yell at rooms full of people, “If you aren’t successful, it’s your own fault!” And, “Work harder, don’t be so lazy!”  Each time I hear this, my jaw drops. How is this abstract advice helping people reach their goals? I rarely encounter entrepreneurs that don’t work hard enough—if anything they work too hard and are cruising toward burnout. Yet I’m still amazed to hear speakers and coaches tell their audience to work harder, when in reality what we all need to do is work smarter.

Spoiler alert! Success does not come from hustling harder. It’s about fostering the correct mindset which comes from cultivating a reliable group of peers to hold you accountable and having mentors to offer advice and champion you along the way.

So I ask you, who are your peers alongside you? Where are your mentors that guide you? And, who are you, in turn, helping to mentor along the way?

If you haven’t found your network or simply don’t know where to look, reach out to us at Zuckerberg Institute. We’ve got the key to working smarter, not harder and it all starts with who you know.