The Hustler’s Playbook: Hustlers Expect More

Hustlers expect more.

Hustlers expect more of themselves. They expect to perform at a higher level. They expect to produce better results. This is the natural outcome of holding themselves to a higher standard than anyone else would dare to expect from them. The hustler sets their standard high, and they are hard on themselves when they fail to meet their own standard.

Non-hustlers don’t expect much of themselves. The don’t set goals, and they aren’t driven to perform at a higher level. They drift. The non-hustler is perfectly comfortable with the results they are getting now. The only standard they hold themselves to is doing passable work, not so great that it will “wow” anyone, and not so poor as to get them in any trouble.

Hustlers expect more in the way of rewards. Like when a young Jack Welch was given the same pay increase as his peers after he generated way out-sized results (Jack quit, and General Electric paid him more). Hustlers know that they are right to expect more in the way of rewards when they produce greater results (Hustlers get value capture and value creation in the right order).

Non-hustlers want greater rewards. But wanting greater rewards and expecting greater rewards are not the same thing. Everyone wants more, but few are willing to do what is necessary to be able to expect more. The non-hustler wants a bumper crop, but he doesn’t really expect one because he knows that he hasn’t done any planting.

Hustlers expect more of others. The hustler knows that you are capable of more than you think they are. Having broken through some of their own self-limiting beliefs (something hustlers are always working on), they can help others see their own. The hustler can be demanding because she knows there is more, that there is still some gap between the status quo and true excellence.

The non-hustlers doesn’t expect much. Good enough is good enough for the non-hustlers. Because non-hustlers don’t expect more from themselves, they don’t expect more from others.

Expect more. Expect more from yourself. Hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone would dare to expect from you.