Bill Gates once said he’d pick a lazy person for a hard job: 5 lessons every manager should learn

Bill Gates’ quote about choosing a “lazy person for a hard job” highlights an important management insight: true efficiency often stems from a desire to simplify. This article reframes laziness as a driver of innovation, advocating for smarter shortcuts, output-focused evaluations, and roles that reward optimisation. It urges managers to empower employees who seek better ways of working—those who automate, streamline, and problem-solve rather than simply work harder.