Episode #99: Hussle Hassle

Are we moving so fast that it’s becoming expensive?

Executives and managers are under constant pressure to move faster, do more, and deliver results with fewer resources. On the surface, speed looks like a competitive advantage. But when “always on” becomes a way of life, it starts to generate costly mistakes, poor judgment, and damaged relationships.

We chase deadlines, multitask through conversations, and treat every minute like contraband to be hoarded. In the process, we overlook the core driver of most businesses: people. When we rush past colleagues, cut off customers mid-sentence, or push teams into panic mode to hit deadlines, we pay a hidden price in trust, engagement, and long-term performance.

Mini-summary: Speed without awareness doesn’t just create stress — it erodes judgment, relationships, and ultimately business results.

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How does constant hustling show up in everyday behavior?

Look at the way we move through daily life and work:

• Pushing past others to get into a train or elevator first

• Blocking corridors while staring at our phones

• Cutting off drivers in traffic to gain ten seconds

• Interrupting others or finishing their sentences in meetings

• Triggering last-minute “all hands” panic to meet a rushed deadline

These micro-behaviors reflect a mindset: my seconds matter more than your experience. Over time, this mindset creeps into how we treat customers, colleagues, and stakeholders. We talk about customer focus and consultative selling, but our behavior says, “My agenda first.”

Mini-summary: Our everyday rush habits are symptoms of a deeper issue: we prioritize our own speed over respect, listening, and collaboration.

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What happens when the “fast self” overrules the “contemplative self”?

The constant flood of email, messages, and notifications pushes us into reactive mode. The “fast self” takes over:

• We respond quickly instead of thoughtfully

• We dictate instead of asking questions

• We broadcast instead of listening

Our contemplative side — the part that reflects, empathizes, and thinks strategically — gets pushed aside. We lose awareness of how our words and actions land with others.

The irony? As leaders, we preach listening, empathy, and customer centricity. Yet our behavior often becomes one-way traffic — we do things to people, not with them.

Mini-summary: When we let urgency dominate, we silence our reflective self and drift away from the values and leadership behaviors we claim to champion.

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What if every rushed interaction came back to you?

Imagine that every time you were impatient, dismissive, or self-focused in a small interaction, it resurfaced later in a critical business moment:

• The person you ignored on a “busy day” turns out to be a key decision-maker

• The team you constantly rush starts withholding ideas

• The customer you cut off decides to move to a competitor

If you knew every interaction would return to you, you would:

• Listen fully before speaking

• Choose your words more carefully

• Show more respect and curiosity in everyday encounters

• Align your behavior with your vision, mission, and values

You would start to genuinely value the input of others because you are finally giving them your full attention.

Mini-summary: Treat every interaction as if it will reappear at a critical moment; this mindset naturally sharpens your listening, respect, and alignment with your stated values.

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Do we need a “slow business movement”?

Just as the slow food movement emerged in response to impersonal fast food, modern organizations need a “slow business” mindset in response to impersonal, hyper-speed work cultures.

Scrambling for seconds to spend more time glued to screens — email, social media, internal chat — is not strategic leadership. It is reactive survival. When we are always hustling:

• Contemplation disappears

• Our personal and corporate values are distorted

• We forget who we are and what we stand for

One of the admirable aspects of life in Japan is how millions of people have managed, for generations, to coexist closely with a culture of consideration and respect for others. Business leaders can learn from this: speed is sustainable only when anchored in respect, awareness, and human connection.

Mini-summary: “Slow business” is not about being lazy; it’s about reclaiming space for thinking, values, and human connection in a high-speed world.

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What practical actions can leaders take to slow down and refocus on people?

You don’t have to abandon speed. You need to balance it with deliberate, people-focused leadership. Start with these actions:

1. Develop more self-awareness

• Notice your default pace and tone in meetings, emails, and conversations

• Ask trusted colleagues for feedback on how rushed or present you seem

• Reflect daily: “Where did I rush past people today? What did it cost?”

Mini-summary: Self-awareness is the starting point; you can’t change a pattern you don’t notice.

2. Give people your 100% attention

• Put devices away when someone is speaking

• Listen until the other person fully finishes before responding

• Ask clarifying questions instead of jumping in with your own solution

Mini-summary: Full attention is a powerful leadership tool; it builds trust, psychological safety, and deeper insight.

3. Prioritize contemplation

• Block quiet thinking time into your calendar like any critical meeting

• Use that time to reflect on strategy, relationships, and long-term impact

• Encourage your teams to do the same — not every hour must be filled with visible activity

Mini-summary: Contemplation leads to better decisions, fewer crises, and more intentional leadership.

4. Make haste slowly

• Move with purpose, but design space for review and input

• Set realistic timelines that allow for quality and collaboration

• Replace last-minute panic with consistent, paced progress

Mini-summary: “Making haste slowly” means combining urgency with discipline, quality, and respect for people.

• Speed without awareness is costly — it damages judgment, culture, and customer relationships.

• Every interaction matters — treat daily micro-moments as strategic opportunities to build trust.

• Contemplation is a business asset — quiet thinking time improves decisions and reduces avoidable crises.

• People-first speed wins — the most effective leaders move fast and stay deeply connected to the people around them.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since, helping leaders build the human skills that sustain high performance in a high-speed world.