Hard work. Not hard
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon
"Hard. Not hopeless." General David Petraeus coined this phrase as he was taking charge of all military forces in Iraq in 2007. The situation in Iraq, at that time, seemed to be spiraling out of control. Combat deaths were at their peak and we were facing a growing and violent insurgency. Petraeus, following a two-year tour leading the Army's Combined Arms Center where he co-authored the Army's manual on counterinsurgency, was promoted to a 4th star and placed in charge of a dire situation. His charter would be to shift the approach of military units from conventional fighting to counterinsurgency. It was a task few thought possible. He summed it up by offering hope and displaying confidence with that phrase.
I've used a version of it - "Hard work. Not hard," when leading people. My purpose is to highlight the talent of the team - to boost their confidence that the task can be done. Subordinates may look at tasks as impossible simply because they take a significant amount of effort. In so doing, they overlook the talent of the team. It is a leader's role, therefore, to boost their confidence - to offer a dose of reality, "this will be hard work," yet show their confidence, "but not hard." It should be used wisely. A new team which has not proved its ability may not have earned the 'not hard' part of the phrase. In this case a leader could offer, "hard work and hard but I believe we have the talent to meet the challenge."
I've heard summarizing and motivational phrases used by leaders in my years and I've come to emulate them. They are simple but they pack a punch. They cut through the fog and summarize situations, feelings, and they can motivate individuals and teams. I don't overdo it. While it is important to repeat confidence-boosting and motivating phrases, their overuse can have negative effects. "Hard. Not hopeless," required General Petraeus to roll his sleeves up and work tirelessly to achieve success. "Hard work. Not hard," requires the same. When a leader uses a phrase like it and demonstrates their commitment to resource his or her people and join in on the heavy lifting, greatness can occur.
What heavy lifting will your team do? Is it hard or just hard work? Pick a phrase, this one perhaps, and lead them to excellence.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell