Work Smarter, Not Harder: The Power of Leverage

Whether you want more money, more free time, or just less stress, leverage is the key.

Perhaps you are familiar with the following quote:

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I shall move the world.”

When Archimedes – the famous ancient Greek mathematician – said this, he wasn’t referring only to rolling boulders up hills. Or building great temples with brute force.

Instead, Archimedes had solved the puzzle of leverage.

He figured out how to get maximum results while exerting an appropriate amount of effort.

In a modern sense, how to work smarter…not harder!

Applying the wisdom of Archimedes to your small business

What does a Greek mathematician have to do with the world of business? That’s a good question.

Simply put, leverage is the key to success.

Leverage is a powerful force you can use to create a business that gives you, the owner, the life you want.

Allow me to explain.

What happens when we use leverage?

“Leverage” is a general term for any technique used to multiply gains and losses. By applying the concept and power of leverage, you can achieve a lot more in both your personal and business life.

This might look like:

• Higher profits
• More free time
• Less stress
• Better opportunities

What happens when we ignore leverage?

Without the power of leverage, your rewards are restricted to only the amount of work and energy you personally put into a task.

This is all fine and good, but without any leverage you must continue the expend the same amount of time and energy, just to keep producing the same results.

And as we all know, there are only 24 hours in a day.

Ignoring the power of leverage means hitting a ceiling, fast.

5 Ways to Work Less and Reap Greater Rewards by Using the Power of Leverage

1. Leverage Through People

“I would rather earn 1% off 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.” ~ J. Paul Getty

This kind of leverage is all about getting more done with less of your personal intervention.

Even if your business is currently a single person show, it pays to consider using other people as leverage.

How can you get the same outcome as you could produce yourself, but through the efforts of others?

One of the quickest ways to get leverage is by hiring a virtual assistant.

A VA can take repetitive, low-value tasks off your plate (things like inbox management, scheduling, and research) so you can focus on high-value work like strategy, client relationships, and leadership.

Try hiring a VA for 5–10 hours a week. You’ll be surprised how quickly that investment pays for itself.

2. Leverage by Education

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn

“If you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been there.” -Robert Kiyosaki

This one is so important, I needed 2 quotes! 🙂

If you want a better business, first your business needs a better owner.

You don’t need to get an MBA to learn how to become a better business owner.

But you probably do need to learn some additional skills.

Why not learn from others? See their mistakes. Understand what went wrong. Then, leverage this knowledge to do better for yourself.

(PS – business coaching is a great way to shortcut the education process!)

3. Leveraging Technology

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.” – Elbert Hubbard

Technology moves at the speed of light, and this can be leveraged when running a business, too.

As I write this it’s November of 2025 and AI usage has been steadily increasing over the past 2 years.

Are you using ChatGPT or similar tools yet?

AI can now help with things like:

• Drafting client emails and proposals

• Summarizing meeting notes

• Generating job descriptions or interview questions

• Creating marketing content or checklists

Beyond AI, tools like project management apps (Asana, ClickUp, or Trello) and CRMs can help keep your team aligned and your sales pipeline organized.

Ask yourself: How can computers, apps, and software multiply my output without multiplying my hours?

4. Leveraging Systems

“Systems run the business, people run the systems, you lead the people.” ~ John Nieuwenburg

McDonald’s is famous for this.

Think about their French fries.

No matter where you go in the world—Vancouver or Hong Kong—they taste the same. And the person making them is often a 16-year-old whose parents can’t get them to clean their room!

That consistency happens because of great systems.

They don’t rely on superstar employees; they rely on well-documented processes.

Even on a small scale, having systems that your staff (or VAs) can run without your input will give you leverage.

Write things down. Create checklists. Use tools like Loom to record a process once so it can be repeated 100 times.

When you get systems right, your business starts to multiply without multiplying your workload.

5. Leverage in Marketing

“The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.” – Robert Kiyosaki

Here is an interesting question…

Would you rather hunt like a leopard or hunt like a spider?

Leopards hunt only when hungry. Yet once they are fed, leopards will take their kill into a tree and rest on their gluttony. Leopards live a life of feast or famine!

Spiders on the other hand put all of their effort into building their web (or network). Once that’s done, they can wait while their food comes to them.

Businesses are no different. Put time into building a solid network to leverage marketing down the road.

The Takeaway? Leverage allows you to do more with less.

At the end of the day, the term “leverage” simply refers to the ability to do more with less. All businesses can find ways to leverage their existing models.

Whether you want more money, more free time, or just less stress, leverage is the key.

When you start to use leverage in people, systems, and technology, you’ll find yourself doing less hands-on work and more leadership work.

The ultimate goal isn’t to build a business that keeps you busy. It’s to build one that can run (and grow) without you.

When you apply the principle of leverage, you move from working in your business to working on it—and that’s where freedom lives.

Want ideas on how to get started?

Book 15 minutes on my calendar to discuss options tailored specifically to you.