Recognize the importance of this question, offering your insights and field expertise in this regard. Acknowledge the time and place for working hard versus working smart, and how they play into your leadership skills. Often when working smarter, the hard work you'd otherwise put in is cut in half, lightening your workload and contributing to effective time management.

"One should always do both. They're not mutually exclusive either. I start every job, by working hard and evaluating where there is room for improvement. Once I get the hang of something I'll evaluate how I can kaizen an opportunity. First, focus on quality, then quantity. By the end, it should take me less effort to produce the same quality output in a fraction of the time."