“Do the hustle.” Three of only six total words sung repeatedly by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. I wonder if this is what McCoy had in mind, this “hustle culture” that’s become so commonplace in the workforce? It’s a hot-button topic. So hot, in fact, that an anti-hustle movement has developed, appropriately dubbed the #antiwork movement
Where do you and your employees fall on the anti-work-to-hustle culture scale? To answer that, we first have to define hustle culture. We can then address the pros and cons of such a culture and highlight what some organizations are doing to find the right balance.
What Is Hustle Culture?
At its core, hustle culture—meaning ‘all about constantly working’—reflects an unrelenting push for productivity. It may not be new, but the hustle culture meaning has become more prevalent in recent years. The executive lifestyle goes beyond working hard, beyond long hours for a major deadline, and beyond moving up the corporate ladder. It’s an all-consuming obsession with productivity that impacts our quality of life and our quality of work. With hustle culture, there is no such thing as a work-life balance. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review tracking how large companies’ CEOs spend their time found that 79% of those leaders conducted business on weekend days and up to 70% of vacation days.
We don’t realize that hustle culture is typically not demonized but celebrated. Examples of hustle culture in the workplace include shoutouts in morning huddles for the project manager who worked 30 days straight to meet a deadline or the supervisor answering emails while on vacation. What’s more, employees – myself included – are proud participants.
When Did Hustle Culture Start?
Hustle culture’s roots go back to the Industrial Revolution when long hours and relentless productivity were celebrated. So, as work shifted from farms to factories, society’s values around hard work began to reshape, setting the foundation for a culture that equates long hours with commitment and success. Fast forward to the 1980s and 90s, when phrases like “work hard, play hard” became popular among corporate professionals, and high-profile CEOs started glamorizing the “always on” lifestyle.
With the rise of social media, hustle culture became more prevalent as influencers, entrepreneurs, and self-help gurus championed the idea of grinding non-stop to achieve personal and professional success. Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn are filled with images and quotes glorifying late nights and early mornings, feeding the notion that a packed schedule is a badge of honor. Today, hustle culture has permeated nearly every industry, with many professionals feeling constant pressure to be productive, even at the expense of their health and well-being.
Why We Love the Hustle
The hustle gets you places. From a young age, we are taught that hard work and dedication are the cornerstones of success. Do you want better grades? Hit the books. Do you want to be a better athlete? Practice, practice, practice. And you know what? It pays off. You ace the test, make the team, get the job, land the promotion. The most challenging part is differentiating where the natural hustle and hard work ends, and the toxic work obsession begins.
The benefits of participating in and fostering a hustle culture can yield greater output, better sales, more clients, higher revenue – everything that can make an organization successful.
Why Grind Culture is Toxic
So why bother stopping the hustle? In short, wellness. The timing of this blog following our Wellness in the Workplace series is strategic. Hustle culture is another culprit that negatively impacts employee well-being. Hustle culture impacts mental health because our work addiction can trigger burnout, chronic stress, depression, and anxiety, creating a cycle of exhaustion that wears down mental resilience.
And hustle culture impacts physical health because the physical toll of constant overwork includes risks like cardiovascular disease, with Corporate Wellness Magazine telling us executives are at even higher risk due to the constant need to always be “on.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an overworked and stressed employee can be up to 68% less productive despite putting in more effort and hours. Additionally, Corporate Wellness Magazine notes that executives frequently absorb the largest amount of stress, potentially leading to chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and hormone imbalances.
How To Counteract Hustle Culture in the Workplace
The easy part is done. We know what needs to change. But where do we go from here? Before we can even begin moving toward potential solutions that would squash our corporate hustle culture, we have to have buy-in from leadership as much as from individuals. Starting with a common goal is step one. Commitment to that goal is step two. Steps three and beyond will look different for everyone and remain fluid as we develop as individuals and organizations.
In a recent article for Inc., Dmitri Lepikhov, CEO of Mightcall, addresses the question, How can employers avoid creating a hustle culture in their workplace? He outlines three actionable steps to help reduce grind culture and foster a healthier work environment.
- Agree on what a “good workday” is – A blueprint developed by managers and employees to establish not a scheduled to-do list but task progression breaks to stay fresh and generally available. A long-term vision to outline what an employee is reasonably capable of doing.
- Vacation time for everyone – Whether your organization offers a set amount of vacation days or the tricky “unlimited vacation days,” employees need to be encouraged to recharge and reset without being fearful of passive repercussions.
- Lead by example – Everyone’s favorite adage. Lepikov states it beautifully: “If you genuinely want staff to relax and prioritize their own well-being at work, you need to show yourself doing it first.
Corporate Wellness Magazine explains how some corporate boards of directors are taking matters into their own hands, and investing in their executives’ health and wellness. They go above and beyond their standard health insurance to include preventative exams, health action plans, and follow-up care. In many cases, executives remain loyal to their company because of the health benefits they receive. These highly intelligent people understand that their company is investing in them and their families by investing in their health.
Redefining Success: Balancing Hustle Culture with Wellness
Despite its evolution, the impact of hustle culture remains the same: an unrelenting pace that blurs the lines between work and personal life, affecting our health, productivity, and overall quality of life. Understanding where this culture originated and how it became ingrained in our professional lives is the first step toward reassessing its value and finding a healthier approach to success.
But what does hustle culture mean for your organization and your team? Are you promoting a balanced, sustainable approach to work, or are you caught in a cycle of constant hustle? Redefining success in your workplace starts with assessing current practices and opening conversations about work-life balance. Encourage your team to set realistic boundaries and prioritize wellness without sacrificing their professional goals.
Take the first step toward balance: speak with your leadership team, consider implementing wellness programs, and lead by example. Building a work culture that values both achievement and well-being is possible—and it’s key to creating a healthier, more effective workforce.
Explore more leadership strategies with The Alexander Group.