High Performer Trait: Focus on Effort vs Impact

"It's not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours." -Sam Ewing

People naturally focus on effort/activities because they are visible, tangible, and easy to measure. For instance, "I fixed 132 bugs this month," "I checked in over 5,000 lines of code," or even, "I launched a new feature after six months of work." But wait—what could be wrong with launching a new feature? Let’s break it down.

Effort .vs. Impact

The difference between the effort/activities we do and the impact we create can be revealed with a simple test: step outside yourself and remove yourself from the picture. Once all the work is done, what has changed in the world without you in it? After six months of effort leading to a feature launch—did users actually adopt it? How effectively did it solve their problems? Did it drive engagement or revenue? Or did it introduce new issues? High performers focus not just on the work itself but on the impact it delivers.

Are efforts/activities not important?

Not at all. Efforts and activities matter greatly—but they must be viewed in the bigger picture alongside other key factors, most importantly, impact. Other factors, such as priorities and risks, also play a role, but for clarity, we'll focus on impact here.

To illustrate this balance, I developed a simple model: "The Quadrants of Effectiveness", based on two key dimensions—effort and impact (as shown above). To become a high performer, we must move beyond the lower two quadrants and into the upper two. Both strategists and peak performers operate in these higher quadrants, and the ideal position depends on the situation.

Which quadrant are you in?