Have you noticed how “hustle culture” has worked its way into our vernacular in the last many years?
Originally, hustle culture took root in Silicon Valley when working 24/7 to secure funding was the M.O. for many start-ups. There was a “ride or die” mentality to working 24/7. In the years that followed, we’ve adopted the mindset that hustling (read: overworking) is the way to get ahead. (It’s not.)
Which is why hustle culture gets a bad rap. This is legitimate when the hustle is fueled by fear, scarcity, or the need to prove something (it can also be a fast track to burnout.)
Today, hustle culture has expanded its purview to include “side hustles,” with 2 in 5 workers saying they have one, according to 2023 research by Bankrate. Additionally, half of millennials and more than half of Gen Zers had a side hustle. Of all people with a side hustle, 33% said they needed it to meet their monthly expenses.
But hustle in and of itself isn’t the problem. It’s the why behind the hustle we should look at, as well as how it shows up in our lives and leadership.
I hustle daily. In fact, I operate better when I’m hustling.
It’s energizing and focuses me, and I’m motivated by it. Yes, sometimes it’s messy, but it is (almost) always aligned with my goals.
I’m not chasing my worth or trying to prove anything to anyone but myself. And the hustle is coming from a place of joy and abundance. For many, the reality of hustle looks a little different. They’re leading teams, managing complex and competing priorities, or navigating demanding systems. They’re working with fewer resources and more time constraints. Reprioritizing based on environmental factors (e.g. think tariffs here) and maybe juggling a long list of issues on the home front.
Maybe this is true for you, too?
While hustle isn’t always optional, it can be intentional.
This is where Leadership Fluency™ comes in.*
This is about creating a personal foundation that grounds you and knowing yourself well enough to notice:
- What’s motivating your drive? Fear, or something else?
- Are you over-functioning to compensate for someone else’s underperformance?
- Is your hustle actually sustaining you and helping you grow? Or is it costing you?
You can hustle without losing yourself. But you need to be aware of the inner signals and deprioritize the outer noise.
So the next time you feel the rush, ask yourself:
- What’s fueling this hustle – purpose or pressure?
- Is this urgency real or internalized?
- Am I leading in a way that aligns with how I want to show up in the world?
And if those questions stir something uncomfortable in you, that’s great! That’s your self-awareness doing its job.
You may be tempted to push back here and say, “But I don’t have a choice.”
Even when things feel hard or uncertain, you’re not without choices. You always have the ability to choose your next step. The key is to trust yourself to decide what’s right for you. Lean into the work you’ve already done to build your infrastructure and foundation. It’s there to support you.
If you feel like you don’t have the solid foundation you need, it’s not too late to start shoring it up.
You would never knowingly build a skyscraper on a faulty foundation. So don’t do it for your leadership, either!
