A very wise manager once shared this taxonomy with me. Its origins are debatable,1 but this has really stuck with me over the years.

Being lazy is not in and of itself. When a clever person is also lazy, they come up with great ways to do things more effectively. This could be through effective delegation, automation, or even just questioning whether a task needs to be done at all.

Footnotes

  1. Quote Origin: The Person Who is Clever and Lazy Qualifies for the Highest Leadership Posts – Quote Investigator®