Does willpower actually lead to long-term success?

Leaders will often tell their team that working harder is the solution to every challenge and the key to sustainable success.

Here are some examples of what leaders say:

• “We are not here to have fun; we are here to work”. But how do you convince people that they are not allowed to enjoy life?
• “You are a paid employee; you must work until the job is done”. This is like signing an open-ended contract. It almost like saying, “you can buy my car but keep paying me every month until I tell you that payment is complete”.
• “If you want your career to advance at this company, then the company must come first”. Would you really want to tell people to give up their work-life balance?
• “Succeeding here means putting in extra effort. You are going to need to give us 110%”. How possible is this when there can only be 100% of anything?

There is no doubt that applying more effort to a task is beneficial in the short run. But how sustainable is it? If you are looking for long-term success, your approach should be working “smart”, rather than working “hard”.

Indeed, extraordinary effort, or “willpower” is not beneficial to long-term success. It cannot be sustained. There is always a baseline that, once exceeded, leads to higher levels of fatigue, which subsequently results in lower levels of effort (i.e. burnout). The human energy system will automatically find ways to self-regulate and return to a normal level of functioning that can be sustained over time.

So, if “willpower”, “working harder” and “extraordinary effort” are not sustainable in the long-run, what is the solution to higher levels of achievement?

Well, try leveraging two things: fun and focus.

Humans love to have fun. This drive for fun, happiness, enjoyment, etc. is probably the most powerful human force on earth, so leverage it fully for business success. Add some focus too, such as strategic planning. This will help you concentrate on one thing at a time, rather than trying to do too many things at once. With fun and focus, you have yourself a self-sustaining business success machine!

In summary,

• Ensure that your company culture is one that takes advantage of the prodigious power of fun and happiness
• Do not pressure your team by telling them that willpower and “trying harder” are the keys to sustained long-term success. This will only lead to fatigue and burnout, and subsequently result in higher turnover and employee attrition.
• Have a strong and sustainable strategic plan to focus your efforts.

PAT Consulting can provide robust solutions to businesses and organizations struggling to find focus and employee morale. We have trainings in stress management and burnout that can be beneficial to your employees. Also, we provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for a more productive workforce.