Effort vs. Excellence: What Really Matters?

When any carpenter comes to the workplace each day, they bring their tools—an assortment of items, from a hammer and nails to a drill and measuring tape, all wrapped around their waist for easy access. On their tool belt are the essential items needed to perform the job correctly and effectively.

The same procedure applies to the barber, the plumber, the roofer, or any worker who relies on their hands to make a living. When students come to class, they bring their notebooks, laptops, pens, and pencils, helping them take notes and curate pertinent information from the teacher. Before a grade is allocated, the student must turn their notes into knowledge, proving their comprehension of the subject. The carpenter and the student both work hard, yet their effort isn’t judged—only their finished product is.

How many times have you interviewed a person for a position, and the first strong point they mention about their qualifications is their ability to work hard? Hard work and persistence aren’t tools in their tool belt; they are a given. They’re not a bonus. They don’t distinguish one candidate from another. Everyone needs to work hard. Everyone needs persistence. What matters more than effort are the results—for the laborer and the student alike.

In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Adam Grant addressed the issue of grading effort as if effort were gradable:

“After 20 years of teaching, I thought I’d heard every argument in the book from students who wanted a better grade. But recently, at the end of a weeklong course with a light workload, multiple students had a new complaint: ‘My grade doesn’t reflect the effort I put into this course.’

High marks are for excellence, not grit. In the past, students understood that hard work was not sufficient; an A required great work. Yet today, many students expect to be rewarded for the quantity of their effort rather than the quality of their knowledge. In surveys, two-thirds of college students say that ‘trying hard’ should be a factor in their grades, and a third think they should get at least a B just for showing up to (most) classes.”

This begs the question: when did the paradigm shift? At what point did we begin equating effort with excellence? The reality is that in any professional or academic setting, results are what truly matter. Working hard, while commendable, is the baseline expectation. It’s the tangible outcomes—the quality of work, the innovation, the impact—that distinguish great performers from good ones.

In the workforce, employers seek individuals who can deliver results, not just exert effort. Projects aren’t completed by sheer willpower; they require skill, knowledge, and execution. Similarly, in academia, students are expected to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of subjects through their performances on exams, papers, and projects—not just through attendance and participation.

Elevating effort to the same level as achievement dilutes the value of true excellence. It’s crucial to recognize that hard work should be the foundation upon which we build our skills and accomplishments, not the pinnacle of our aspirations.

In a world where everyone is expected to put in the effort, it is the results that set us apart.

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