"You have to get more out of the qualities you have," the former Barcelona player and coach and the club's honorary president said in an interview in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet.
"You have to be effective," Cruyff added in a reference to the striker, "especially if you come to a big club from another country. The biggest and hardest steps are the mental ones."
Cruyff's original comment, made when Ibrahimovic was playing for Dutch club Ajax, was that the striker had "good technique for a bad player, bad technique for a good player".
Ibrahimovic joined the European champions from Inter Milan in July in a swap deal with Samuel Eto'o.
Cruyff praised Cameroon striker Eto'o for his ability to switch from attack to defence.
"That is one of the details Ibrahimovic must learn because if you lose the ball as a forward in Italy it makes no difference," said the Dutch maestro.
"But if you lose the ball as a forward at Barcelona you're the first one to get running."
Barcelona trail Inter 3-1 going into Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp.
Cruyff said he was confident his side could overturn their deficit and took a swipe at Inter coach Jose Mourinho.
"Mourinho is a good coach but I don't like the way he coaches," he said.
"I'm a bigger fan of coaches like (Frank) Riijkaard, (Barcelona's Pep) Guardiola - gentlemen. I think this sport is about something more than just winning."
