Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP

It’s almost impossible to remove a tightened screw with your bare hands, but it’s relatively easy if you use a screwdriver. Why? Because the handle of the screwdriver might only add a little torque, but it’s more than enough.

If others are succeeding at something you find difficult, it might be because they have realized what leverage they bring to the table and you haven’t. Maybe you need to find the screwdriver—or apply it in the correct manner—in order to grow and flourish.

Leverage is the art and science of getting much more done with the same, or less, effort. It involves using what you and others have or know to your advantage, and sometimes influencing situations or people to better control the outcomes. As with many things, leverage can be used in a negative and manipulative manner; however, I want to focus on positive levers you can apply to your career or specific goals to enhance your level of success.

For example, let’s say you want to find ways to leverage your knowledge and experience in your career to achieve more while working less hours. Four primary levers to help you accomplish this goal are time (yours and others), resources, knowledge and education, and technology.

1. Time Leverage. Time leverage is an excellent strategy for success. There are only so many hours in a day you can work. If you only use your time, you can achieve only so much. But if you leverage other people’s time, you can increase productivity exponentially.

When leveraging your own time:

• Practice effective time management. Eliminate unnecessary activities, and focus your effort on the things that really matter.
• Prioritize and focus your energy on the activities that give the greatest return on your time invested.
• Set appropriate S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals.

When leveraging other people’s time:

• Effectively delegate work to others.
• Train others who have the desire to learn and grow and then empower them to achieve success without hovering.
• Seek external assistance for skill and/or experience gaps.

2. Resource Leverage. Apply leverage by getting the most from your assets, and taking full advantage of your personal strengths. You have a wide range of skills, talents, experiences, thoughts and ideas. What relevant skills and strengths do you have that others don’t? How can you best utilize these skills and even enhance them to further your degree of leverage?

3. Knowledge and Education Leverage. Combined with education and action, knowledge can generate tremendous leverage.

Learning by experience can be slow. If possible, identify more formal ways of learning to progress faster. In addition to your current foundation of knowledge:

• Acknowledge what you need to learn.
• Realize what level you need to learn those new skills at.
• Select your choices and focus your time and attention on learning them.
• Take additional time and focus to earn appropriate qualifications you may need.

4. Technology Leverage. Finding technology leverage is about identifying how you work and then using technology to automate as much of it as you can.

At a simple level, you might find that all you need to keep you in touch with home and work is a laptop or smartphone with easy-to-use apps.

At a more sophisticated level, businesses can choose from a wide array of software solutions. Some of these can automate or simplify tasks that are otherwise very time consuming—like customer-relationship management (CRM) databases for sales/customer service organizations or point-of-sale (PoS) inventory systems for organizations that need to track and manage inventory.

What is your secret weapon that gives you a competitive edge? What screwdriver—or other useful tool—do you need to apply differently to tip the scales and achieve the success you desire? Identify your key levels of influence to best position you to excel faster and more effectively than you ever imagined possible!