The Hummingbird vs. The Eagle

A hummingbird flaps its wings up to 80 times per second. It works relentlessly just to stay afloat, burning immense energy to survive. It never soars, never glides—it’s all effort, all the time.

An eagle, on the other hand, leverages the wind. It flaps its wings a few times, then rides the thermals, letting nature do most of the work. It covers vast distances with minimal effort.

Hard work without leverage is like a hummingbird—all energy, no scale.
Leverage is like flying like an eagle—minimal effort, maximum distance.

The lesson? Find the thermals. Build systems that carry you forward. Stop flapping endlessly when you could be soaring.

Hard Work Without Leverage Is Just Effort

We’ve all heard it: “Successful people just work harder than everyone else.” It sounds noble. It reinforces the idea that effort alone dictates outcomes. But it's a misleading half-truth—one that the wealthy instinctively understand but rarely articulate.

Success isn’t just about working harder. It’s about working in a way that multiplies results. This multiplier effect has a name: Leverage.

And here’s the kicker—most successful people don’t even realize they’re using it.

The Wealthy Tap Into Leverage (Without Acknowledging It)

Wealthy and successful individuals are convinced that their effort alone made them who they are. It’s not that they’re lying—it’s that they’re biased.

It’s human nature to attribute success to personal effort rather than external forces.

Talk to any semi-successful startup founder & he will attribute success to hard-work alone, never acknowledging that they landed their first customer from network or because their dad knew someone.
Talk to any failed or failing entrepreneur and they will be happy to attribute this failure to bad luck

But here’s what the successful founders often miss:

They weren’t just working hard—they were using leverage, often unconsciously.
They were in industries or positions where effort compounds over time.
They had networks, capital, or scalable systems that magnified their impact.

They unknowingly tapped into invisible forces that made their effort exponentially more valuable—while others were stuck in work that didn’t scale.

Let’s look at real-world examples:

• Jeff Bezos (Amazon) – Started off working at a hedge fund, where leverage was built-in (capital multiplied results). When he launched Amazon, he didn't just "work hard." He leveraged technology, infrastructure, and an investor network to scale beyond what any small business owner could.

• Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, X.com/PayPal) – He didn't personally build every rocket or car. He leveraged investor money, top engineering talent, and government incentives to accelerate growth.

• Oprah Winfrey (Media Mogul) – She didn’t just host a talk show. She built a media empire by owning production rights, magazines, and TV networks—turning her influence into a scalable asset.

• Warren Buffett (Investing) – Didn’t just analyze stocks harder than everyone else. He leveraged insurance float (money from policyholders) to make bigger investments than competitors.

Compare this to an average hard-working small business owner grinding 14-hour days. No leverage. No compounding returns. Effort resets every day.

Leverage is why two people can work the same 12-hour day and have completely different outcomes.

How You Can Use Leverage to Your Advantage

If you’re grinding away with no results, the issue isn’t how hard you’re working—it’s that you’re working in a system with no leverage.

Want better outcomes? Change the structure of your effort.

1. Identify Work That Scales

The first step is to ask: Does my effort multiply over time, or does it reset every day?

Work that compounds:
Building a business (e.g., tech startups, scalable service companies)
Creating content (e.g., writing, videos, software, IP)
Investing in assets (e.g., stocks, real estate, digital products)

Work that doesn’t:
Trading time for money with no scaling potential (e.g., hourly wage jobs)
Jobs where effort is linear and resets daily
Work that relies solely on physical presence

Example:
A YouTuber creates one video that earns money forever. A teacher gives the same lesson daily, with no leverage.

2. Use Tools, Capital, or People to Amplify Output

If you don’t have leverage yet, borrow it.

• Technology: Automate tasks, use AI, build software that scales.

• Capital: Invest in assets that appreciate instead of just saving.

• People: Delegate low-value work to free up time for high-value tasks.

Example:
Tim Ferriss didn’t just work harder—he automated his business and outsourced tasks to create passive income.

3. Put Yourself in High-Leverage Environments

Your surroundings matter. If you’re stuck in low-multiplier work, move into an industry or role where effort compounds.

Get into tech, media, or finance—industries where leverage is built-in.
Surround yourself with people who understand leverage.
Don’t just “work hard”—work smart and in the right places.

Example:
Elon Musk built Tesla in California, where venture capital was accessible. If he had stayed in South Africa, Tesla likely wouldn’t exist.

Final Thought: Stop Playing the Wrong Game

If you’re grinding 12-hour days with little to show for it, the problem isn’t your work ethic. It’s the game you’re playing.

Leverage is the invisible force that separates the wealthy from the rest. The sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can start using it.

So ask yourself: Is my effort multiplying, or am I just running in place?