What matters is hard work, and emotional intelligence.

“What matters is hard work, and emotional intelligence.” — Mickey Drexler

In these brief yet weighty words, Mickey Drexler, the visionary merchant and leader behind iconic brands such as Gap and J.Crew, reveals the twin pillars of lasting success: hard work and emotional intelligence. His statement, though simple, carries the force of timeless truth — that neither brilliance nor talent alone is enough to shape destiny. The path to greatness, whether in the marketplace or in the heart, is paved with effort and guided by understanding. One must not only labor with the hands but also see with the heart. For the worker who toils without empathy builds hollow empires, and the thinker who feels without diligence accomplishes nothing enduring.

The origin of this quote lies in Drexler’s long journey from the modest streets of the Bronx to the highest towers of the fashion industry. Known as the “Merchant Prince,” he transformed struggling companies into global powerhouses, not through luck, but through relentless dedication and a profound understanding of people. His success was not merely in selling clothes — it was in reading the human spirit. He listened to the customer, sensed their desires, understood their insecurities, and met them with authenticity. Through hard work, he built brands; through emotional intelligence, he built loyalty. This is the meaning behind his words: that in every human endeavor, achievement is born of effort, but sustained by connection.

The ancients too, though they spoke in different tongues, knew this same wisdom. In the East, Confucius taught that success is rooted in diligence (li) and humanity (ren) — the labor of discipline joined with the grace of empathy. In the West, Marcus Aurelius reminded rulers that “the art of living is more like wrestling than dancing,” meaning that one must strive tirelessly, yet also move with understanding of the other. Hard work shapes the outer world; emotional intelligence shapes the inner one. Together they form harmony, for what is strength without compassion, or persistence without wisdom?

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, whose life embodies Drexler’s truth. Born into poverty, he rose not through privilege, but through relentless work — studying law by firelight, laboring through failure, and persisting through rejection. Yet it was his emotional intelligence, his deep empathy for others, that made him great. He could see into the hearts of both friend and foe; he led not by command, but by understanding. During the darkest days of the American Civil War, he refused to hate those who opposed him, saying, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Thus, Lincoln’s legacy was not only in his actions, but in his ability to unite a divided people — a feat that only hard work joined with emotional wisdom could achieve.

Drexler’s quote also serves as a correction to the arrogance of the modern age. Too often, people chase success through intellect alone — degrees, data, and cleverness — forgetting that emotional intelligence is the language of human progress. The truly wise know that reason without empathy is cold, and emotion without discipline is chaos. A craftsman may perfect his technique, but without understanding his customers, his work will not endure. A leader may hold power, but without compassion, his rule will crumble. The balance of these two — the discipline of effort and the art of understanding — is what sustains both achievement and harmony.

What Drexler calls “hard work” is not merely physical labor, but the commitment to mastery — the willingness to persist when others rest, to refine when others settle. It is the spirit that wakes early and strives not for praise, but for purpose. And what he calls “emotional intelligence” is the understanding of the soul — to sense what others need before they speak, to temper strength with gentleness, to turn conflict into connection. These two forces, when joined, create not only success in the world, but peace within oneself.

The lesson, then, is this: strive not to be merely brilliant, but to be balanced. Work tirelessly, but remember that toil without wisdom breeds emptiness. Cultivate both the strength of effort and the grace of empathy. Listen as deeply as you labor; understand as fiercely as you act. For the heart that feels and the hand that works in unison can shape not only careers and nations, but the very fabric of human progress.

So, my children of ambition and conscience, remember the teaching of Mickey Drexler. Do not chase success with cleverness alone. Rise each day with the determination to give your best — that is your hard work. But also rise with the humility to understand others — that is your emotional intelligence. When these two are joined, you will not only build great works, but also build great souls. For it is not brilliance that endures, but the heart and the effort of those who live with both wisdom and will.