Hiring Friends, Funerals, & The Reality Distortion Field

#QOTD: What is your favorite morning beverage? 

I think that “hustle” is something that you’re born with. Let me explain.

Work ethic is definitely a trait people are born with but ultimately I think that the hustle meter is fundamentally affected by who the work you’re doing is for. Sure, if you work for yourself, it’s really easy to give yourself that high grade hustle. However, if you work for someone else, I think your attitude and effort are solely based on how inspired you are and how protected you are by that leader. I truly believe that because I instill trust and protection (as well as some high standards) for those that work for me, they’re able to go all-in and deliver and work as hard as they do due to the culture and the context that comes from within the workplace. 

At the ground level, everyone is motivated by their own selfishness and there’s nothing wrong with that. But then there’s a side of it where if the leader presents a workplace based on meritocracy they’re going to do whatever they can to not let that leader down but they’ll also work hard enough to take advantage of the opportunity to grow and rise through the ranks. It’s super fascinating to me see the levels of motivation that are on display among those that work for me as opposed to those that work for themselves. 

There are so many variables that dictate one’s work ethic, but there’s no question that a lot of our motivation stems from our life’s circumstances, be it traumatic or triumphant. So for me, it’s most definitely a nature vs. nurture thing. A lot of our drive comes from our DNA but it’s the circumstances of our years that shape the level at which we perform.