RULE 13: Never Let Anyone Know How Hard You Work

Look at someone like Richard Branson. He’s always seen as playing, flying balloons, living on a converted barge, flying to the States. You never see him sitting at a desk, answering phones, doing paperwork. But at some time during his working day that is exactly what he must do. We just don’t get to see it. Thus we think of him as the business playboy, the happy-go-lucky entrepreneur, the devilish entertainer. It’s a neat image and one that he seems very happy to go along with—and why not?

This is the sort of image the intrepid Rules Player wants to cultivate—suave, easy, relaxed, languid, in control, and very chilled. You never run, never panic, never even seem to hurry. Yes, you may stay up until the early hours of every morning, but you will never admit this. Yes, you may work through your vacations, weekends, and days off, but you will never let on, never moan about how hard you work or the hours you put in. To the outside observer you are coasting, taking it easy, taking it all in your stride.

Obviously, to be able to do this you have to be very good at your job. If you ain’t, then you’re going to fail trying this Rule out for size. So, what do you do if you aren’t very good at your job? Burn that midnight oil again getting good. Learn, study, gain experience and knowledge, read, ask questions, revise, sweat, and cram until you do know that job inside and out. Do this first, and then you can wonder about looking cool and very relaxed.

There are a few Rules within this Rule:
• Never ask for an extension of a deadline.
• Never ask for help: never admit that you are out of your depth—you can ask for guidance, advice, information, an opinion, but never help.
• Never moan or complain about how much work you have to do.
• Learn to be assertive so you don’t get overloaded—this is not about letting others know how hard you do work, but you don’t have to overdo it and overwork.
• Never be seen breaking into a sweat.
• Always look for ways to ease your workload—unnoticed of course—and ways to speed things up.

TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS YOU HAVE TO BE VERY GOOD AT YOUR JOB.