When we fall behind, it’s tempting to hustle to catch up.

When the competition heats up, it’s imperative we hustle to get ahead.

Hustle is a particular kind of shortcut. Hustle is pushing the boundaries of cultural expectation, creating pressure and discomfort to make a sale. Hustle pushes us to cut corners, cut the line and cut down trust.

And it quickly becomes the new normal. Hustling is a race to the bottom, and our competitors lean and hustle in response… which means that we’re now under pressure to hustle more than we think is appropriate, driven by the same forces that led us to hustle in the first place.

The alternative is to lean into better. To find the space and the guts to do breakthrough work, work that others are afraid to do. Instead of causing discomfort and cutting, we’re building something worth following and talking about.

Of course it’s not easy, that’s why it works.

PS A breath of fresh air, Dr. Natalie Nixon’s new book is out.