You might think you can skate by because you have a better idea or are superior at selling. But that's not enough. Success comes to those who do hard things.
Hard work is the foundation of success, says Tom Lewis, who started and headed up Scottsdale, Ariz.-based homebuilder T.W. Lewis. He now runs philanthropic company T.W. Lewis Foundation. It's no different from building a home on a solid foundation, he says.
The notion of working smarter, not harder, is ridiculous, says Lewis, who wrote "Solid Ground." "It's not a choice. You do both," he said.
Build Work Ethic: Do Hard Things
Build your work ethic by striving to accomplish something tough. That will challenge you so you can achieve more.
"You'll never succeed if you only try easy things," he said.
When you fail, get back up and try again. Keep doing that until you hit the goal. That builds resilience, so you're not afraid to get knocked down. It also builds your self-esteem.
"You're proud of yourself," Lewis said. "You did something that was worth doing."
Enjoy The Difficulty
Lewis talks about the value of embracing the struggle.
"Everything in life that's worth having is hard to get," Lewis said. "You have to adopt that mindset that hard work is the secret sauce."
The biggest key to working hard is simply to overcome boredom, says Jim Bohn, Milwaukee-based founder and leader of organizational consulting firm ProAxios. He's also a doctoral student coach at Concordia University and author of "People Development: The Best Part of Leading a Team." A lot of hard work isn't exciting. It's checking details a third time, researching items and making sure reports are accurate.
"If you can overcome boredom and grind through the details, you're going to shine," Bohn said.
Think Like An Athlete
Imagine an athlete who suffers a major injury. They'll go through hours of rehab, exercising and strengthening joints and muscles. They do it day after day behind the scenes to get back to 100%.
"It takes persistence and overcoming boredom," Bohn said.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger famously showed the value of hard work and persistence. One staffer turned in a policy paper on time and Kissinger said, "Is that the best you can do?" The person said they could probably improve it with more time. The same thing happened a second time. When the paper was turned in a third time, the answer came back that it was indeed the best that staff member could do.
"It shows that quality work took this grueling effort," Bohn said.
Go For The Tough Shots
Lewis, a University of Kentucky graduate, watched former Wildcats basketball coach Rick Pitino run practices. Pitino had players sprinting up and down the court constantly, and then pulling up to shoot three-pointers. It went on for nearly an hour.
"When you're in a game, you've done it so many times, you're confident you can make that shot," he said. "Pitino had a saying, 'Hard work leads to competence. Competence leads to confidence. It takes confidence to succeed and it all starts with hard work.' "
Stay focused over the long run and avoid getting distracted and moving on.
"Sticking with something for a long time is how you reach the real goal," Bohn said.
Do Hard Things In Small Pieces
Reach tough goals by breaking up a project into small pieces. Focus on each step and reward yourself when you hit milestones.
Bohn spent seven years getting his doctoral degree while working and raising a family. He stayed focused in part by looking at the payoff.
"I was doing this for myself," he said. "It was grueling but I knew it would help me reach my long-term goals."
Spread the mantra of hard work across your group by setting the tone.
"I would get there early and stay late," Lewis said. "They would see that and they didn't want to leave until the boss left. The culture at our company was work hard or leave. And I didn't let slackers stay around too long."
