The Change Signal with Roy Baumeister
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Most change programs get the sequence backwards; uncertainty secretly sabotages willpower; and using your non-dominant hand might triple your success rate.
My guest, Roy Baumeister, is one of psychology’s rock stars, and he’s spent decades studying what actually works when it comes to willpower and behaviour change. Turns out, we’ve (mostly) been doing it wrong.
Here’s the thing: everyone assumes you need to change minds before you change behaviours. Roy’s research suggests the opposite. Get people acting differently first, and their attitudes will follow.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Your people aren’t running out of willpower during change — they’re hoarding it. When uncertainty creeps in, our brains go into conservation mode, making everyone look resistant when they’re actually just being smart.
There’s a surprising way around that. Start ridiculously small. Roy’s former student had people practice tiny willpower exercises — like opening doors with their non-dominant hand — before tackling smoking cessation. The success rate tripled.
If you’re leading transformation in a large organization, this episode will flip your assumptions about human behaviour, willpower, and what actually drives lasting change. Sometimes the smallest interventions create the biggest shifts.
About Roy:
Dr. Roy F. Baumeister is one of the most prolific and most frequently cited psychologists in the world, with over 700 publications. He is the author of 47 books, including the New York Times bestseller Willpower. His research spans self-regulation, motivation, identity, belonging, and human behavior. In 2013, he received the William James Award for lifetime achievement—the highest honor from the Association for Psychological Science.
roybaumeister.com
His bestselling book: Willpower
