The 20% Rule: How to Rise to the Top While Others Sink to the Bottom

Pink Slips and Life Lessons

The foreman's voice cut through the afternoon air like a buzz saw: "Reduction in workforce."

Those three words that every construction worker dreads, the polite way of saying you're getting laid off.

I watched as guys packed their tools, heads hung low, driving home in shame before 2 PM on what should have been just another Friday.

By all accounts, I should have been one of those guys.

Hell, I should have been living a completely different life altogether—probably stuck in Hawaii like so many of my friends and family, where the great weather, bikinis, and surf created a paradise that didn't exactly value hard work or education.

Growing up, I watched classmates drop out to party, get high, and start having kids in high school. I knew people in their mid-thirties who were already grandparents multiple times over.

My mom worked her ass off to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, sending us to private schools to make it harder for us to cut class.

I barely graduated with a C- average, thinking it didn't matter since I was going to join the military.

Then the Air Force and Navy both rejected me because of asthma.

Talk about having your balloon deflated—pun absolutely intended.

But construction saved me.

Not because it was easy, but because it had something most other environments lack: immediate, brutal feedback loops.

In union construction in Los Angeles, you could be laid off at the drop of a hat. The cyclical nature of the industry meant "reduction in workforce" was always lurking around the corner.

It wasn't necessarily personal when they laid you off, though it sure as hell felt personal when you were the one driving home early.

This working environment taught me something that would change my entire life trajectory.

I started watching—really watching—the difference between the guys who always had work and the guys who were constantly getting pink slips.

I hadn't heard of the Pareto Rule back in the late '80s, but I was seeing it in action every single day on the jobsite.

Twenty percent of the crew did eighty percent of the quality work and kept their jobs. The other eighty percent bounced from layoff to layoff, always wondering why they couldn't catch a break.

So I made a decision that would define the rest of my life: I would do what the 20%ers did and avoid what the 80%ers did.

I would hang out with the badasses, not the guys who would eventually quit.

It wouldn't be easy, but it would be a hell of a lot easier than living life as a loser.

That decision on those dusty job sites eventually led to retiring in my mid-50s with a seven-figure net worth, traveling the world, rolling on BJJ mats, and enjoying the absolute hell out of life.

The same principle that saved my career in construction became the blueprint for everything else.

The Anatomy of the 20%

Marcus Aurelius: Leading by Example in the Arena

​Marcus Aurelius understood the 20% principle before it had a name.

As Roman Emperor, he was surrounded by senators, advisors, and generals—yet he quickly learned to distinguish between those who delivered results and those who simply occupied space.

During the Antonine Plague that devastated the Roman Empire, Aurelius faced the ultimate test of leadership under pressure.

While eighty percent of his advisors fled Rome or offered empty platitudes, twenty percent stayed to help solve actual problems.

These weren't necessarily the most eloquent speakers or the best-connected politicians—they were the ones who showed up when showing up was hard, who focused on solutions rather than excuses, and who took responsibility rather than pointing fingers.

His actions showed he understood that thinking alone wasn't enough.

The 20%ers around him combined the right mindset with relentless action.

They didn't wait for perfect conditions—they created better conditions through their efforts.

Aurelius's approach to identifying and cultivating the 20% was systematic.

He observed who delivered results under pressure, who took initiative without being asked, and who made everyone around them better.

He promoted based on competence and character, not connections or charisma.

This meritocratic approach allowed Rome to weather crises that would have destroyed lesser civilizations.

The lesson from Aurelius is clear: the 20% aren't defined by their credentials or their connections, but by their response to adversity and their commitment to excellence when nobody is watching.

Vince Lombardi: Excellence as a Daily Habit

​Vince Lombardi transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the NFL to championship winners by understanding that excellence isn't an accident—it's a habit.

When he arrived in Green Bay, he found a team full of talented athletes who had developed the mentality of the 80%: they showed up, did the minimum, and made excuses when things went wrong.

"Excellence is a habit. We are what we repeatedly do," Lombardi famously said, borrowing from Aristotle but making it visceral and practical.

His first season, he started from scratch, teaching grown men how to block and tackle as if they were beginners.

The difference wasn't in the complexity of his system—it was in his insistence that every single repetition be done with maximum effort and attention to detail.

Lombardi's genius lay in his ability to identify and cultivate 20% behaviors in players who had been operating at 80% levels.

He didn't accept "good enough" when "excellent" was possible.

He created an environment where mediocrity was more uncomfortable than excellence.

Players who couldn't make this transition were cut, regardless of their talent level.

The Packers' transformation wasn't about recruiting better athletes—it was about changing the standard of what was acceptable.

Lombardi showed that the difference between 20%ers and 80%ers isn't natural ability; it's the willingness to do common things uncommonly well, consistently, even when you don't feel like it.

Steve Jobs: The Relentless Pursuit of 20% Thinking

​Steve Jobs built Apple by obsessing over the difference between the 20% and the 80%—both in people and in products.

His hiring philosophy was simple: "A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players."

Jobs understood that one exceptional person could often outperform entire departments of average performers.

Jobs's approach to identifying 20%ers was brutal but effective.

He asked candidates to walk him through their biggest accomplishments and failures, not just listing what happened but explaining their thought process at each decision point.

He wasn't looking for people with perfect track records—he was looking for people who learned from setbacks and emerged stronger.

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower," Jobs said, but his real insight was that innovation comes from refusing to accept the status quo as permanent.

The 20%ers at Apple weren't the ones who followed instructions perfectly—they were the ones who saw problems that others accepted and found elegant solutions.

Jobs created what he called "productive friction"—an environment where ideas were challenged, standards were impossibly high, and complacency was the only unforgivable sin.

The 80%ers couldn't survive this environment because it required constant growth and adaptation.

The 20%ers thrived because they viewed criticism as information and obstacles as puzzles to solve.

The Universal Mechanics of the 20%

The 20% aren't born different—they develop different habits, mindsets, and responses to challenging situations.

After decades of observation across construction sites, martial arts mats, and boardrooms, I've identified four core mechanics that separate the elite from the average:

First: Ownership vs. Victimhood. The 20% take ownership of outcomes, even when circumstances aren't their fault. When something goes wrong, their first question is "What could I have done differently?" rather than "Who's to blame?" This isn't self-abuse—it's strategic thinking that focuses energy on what can be controlled.

Second: Systems vs. Goals. While the 80% focus on achieving specific outcomes, the 20% build systems that generate desired outcomes repeatedly. They understand that goals are temporary, but systems create lasting transformation.

Third: Feedback vs. Validation. The 80% seek validation that confirms they're already good enough. The 20% seek feedback that shows them how to get better. They view criticism as valuable intelligence rather than personal attacks.

Fourth: Process vs. Results. The 20% trust that focusing on process excellence will generate superior results over time. The 80% focus on results and often compromise process to achieve short-term wins that don't compound.

The Warrior Philosophy: Why Most People Choose to Be 80%ers

Here's the uncomfortable truth: being part of the 80% is often more socially comfortable than joining the 20%.

The 80% have lower expectations, more excuses, and larger peer groups that validate their mediocrity.

They can blame circumstances, other people, or bad luck for their lack of progress.

The warrior philosophy recognizes that excellence is inherently lonely.

When you commit to 20% standards, you automatically separate yourself from the majority who find those standards too demanding.

This isn't arrogance—it's mathematics.

If 80% of people settle for average performance, then above-average performance will always be uncommon.

This is why most people unconsciously choose to remain in the 80%. It's not that they lack the ability to perform at 20% levels—it's that they lack the willingness to endure the isolation and criticism that comes with refusing to accept mediocrity.

The warrior understands that you can either be comfortable or you can be excellent, but you cannot be both simultaneously. Excellence requires pushing beyond your comfort zone repeatedly until that becomes your new comfort zone.

The Ripple Effects: Why the 20% Create Exponential Impact

The impact of joining the 20% extends far beyond personal success—it creates ripple effects that transform everything you touch.

In relationships, 20%ers attract other high-performers while naturally repelling energy vampires and excuse-makers.

Your standards become a filter that improves the quality of every interaction.

Professionally, being recognized as part of the 20% opens doors that remain permanently closed to the 80%.

Opportunities, promotions, and partnerships flow to those who have demonstrated consistent excellence.

You become the person others want on their team when the stakes are high.

Perhaps most importantly, operating as a 20%er creates what psychologists call "identity momentum."

Each time you perform at an excellent level, you reinforce your identity as someone who delivers excellence. This becomes a self-reinforcing cycle that makes high performance feel natural rather than forced.

The collective impact is equally powerful. When 20%ers work together, they create what I call "excellence gravity"—an environment that pulls everyone's performance upward.

They become the cultural foundation that allows organizations, teams, and communities to achieve things that would be impossible with 80% performers.

The Warrior's Practice

Audit Process: Identifying Your Current Operating Level

Before you can join the 20%, you need brutal honesty about where you currently stand.

Track your performance across key life areas for one week without changing anything—just observe and document.

Work Performance:

• Do you take initiative or wait for instructions?
• When problems arise, do you bring solutions or just complaints?
• How often do you exceed expectations vs. meet minimum requirements?

Physical Standards:

• Are you stronger, fitter, and more disciplined than you were six months ago?
• Do you train when you don't feel like it, or only when motivation strikes?

Relationship Quality:

• Do people seek your advice and enjoy your company?
• Are you someone others can depend on, or are you the one always needing help?

Financial Behavior: Are you building wealth through smart decisions, or living paycheck to paycheck despite having options?

Be honest: If you're operating at 80% levels, acknowledging this isn't failure—it's the first step toward joining the 20%.

Three Practice Levels: Building Your 20% Identity

Beginner Level: Foundation Setting Choose one area of life and commit to 20% standards for 30 days.

This means exceeding expectations, taking ownership of outcomes, seeking feedback rather than validation, and focusing on process excellence over quick results.

Start with something measurable and visible—work performance, fitness, or a specific skill.

The goal isn't perfection; it's developing the mental muscle of choosing excellence when average would be easier.

Create daily accountability through tracking and measurement.

The 20% always know their numbers because you can't improve what you don't measure.

Intermediate Level: System Integration Apply 20% principles across multiple areas simultaneously. Begin seeking out other 20%ers and distancing yourself from 80% thinking and behavior. This is where social pressure becomes intense—your commitment to excellence will make others uncomfortable.

Develop what I call "excellence resilience"—the ability to maintain high standards when surrounded by people who've settled for less.

This isn't about being judgmental; it's about protecting your standards from social pressure to lower them.

Begin teaching or mentoring others. Teaching 20% principles to others reinforces your own commitment while creating a network of like-minded individuals.

Advanced Level: Excellence Leadership At this level, you're not just performing at 20% standards—you're raising the standards of everyone around you.

You become known as someone who gets things done, who others can depend on, who makes impossible things possible.

Master the art of making excellence contagious. Your presence in any situation should elevate the performance of others through your example, standards, and expectations.

Daily Micro-Practices

Morning Standard Setting: Before checking your phone, identify one way you'll exceed expectations today rather than just meeting requirements.

Midday Excellence Check: Ask yourself: "Am I operating like a 20%er or an 80%er right now?" If the answer is 80%, course-correct immediately.

Evening Performance Review: Assess the day honestly: Where did you choose excellence? Where did you settle for average? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Weekly System Audit: Evaluate whether your current systems and habits are producing 20% results or 80% results. Adjust accordingly.

Resistance Management

The biggest obstacle you'll face is social pressure to return to 80% standards.

Friends and family may unconsciously sabotage your commitment to excellence because it makes them uncomfortable about their own choices.

Remember: you cannot control other people's reactions to your success, but you can control whether you let their reactions determine your standards.

The 20% learned long ago that you can be liked by everyone or you can be excellent, but you cannot be both.

Expect loneliness. Expect criticism. Expect people to call you crazy, obsessive, or unrealistic. These are all signs that you're on the right path.

Challenge: The 90-Day 20% Transformation

Days 1-30: Choose one area and commit to 20% performance standards. Track everything, seek feedback aggressively, and focus on process over results.

Days 31-60: Expand to two areas while maintaining excellence in the first. Begin actively seeking relationships with other 20%ers while creating distance from 80% influences.

Days 61-90: Apply 20% principles to all major life areas. Begin helping others understand and apply these principles.

Success Metrics: By day 90, you should have measurable improvements in chosen areas, feedback from others about your elevated performance, and unshakeable confidence in your ability to deliver excellence consistently.

The Warrior's Choice

Standing on that construction site in the late '80s, watching guys get laid off while others stayed busy, I realized something fundamental: being part of the 20% isn't about talent, luck, or connections—it's about making different choices every single day.

The 80% choose comfort over growth, excuses over ownership, validation over feedback, and minimum requirements over maximum effort.

The 20% choose the harder path because they understand it leads to an easier life.

Most people think the 20% have some special advantage, but the truth is simpler and more empowering: they've simply decided that excellence is non-negotiable.

They've chosen to be uncomfortable in the short term to be extraordinarily comfortable in the long term.

The construction sites taught me that life is a meritocracy for those who choose to make it one.

Your background, your circumstances, your past mistakes—none of that matters as much as your decision to start operating at 20% standards starting right now.

You can continue living as part of the 80%, making excuses and accepting average results, or you can make the warrior's choice and join the 20%.

The only question is: which life do you want to live?

The choice is yours.

The 20% are waiting for you to join them.

Are you sicked and tired of being surrounded by losers, lemmings and Luddites, the 80%ers?

Then join the Leader's Dojo, where you not only discover how badass you are but you're surrounded by other badass warriors and leaders who will help you to be even better.

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