Friction. Good or Bad in Change?
The Change Signal with Bob Sutton
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Bob — Stanford professor, author, and organizational psychologist — joins me to explore why good intentions in big organizations often create bureaucratic nightmares. We talk about what happens when leaders chase “efficiency” but forget empathy, and why treating time as a shared, limited resource can transform how teams work together.
He reminds us that not all friction is bad: the best leaders know which processes to streamline and which to slow down so people have time to think, connect, and create quality work.
And he unpacks a truth that’s both humbling and practical — power shields you from everyday inconvenience. The forms you don’t fill out, the meetings you skip, the hoops others jump through: they’re invisible to you unless you go looking.
If you’re leading change in a large organization, this one’s about designing systems that respect time, energy, and reality.
Here are three big ideas that stand out in Bob Sutton’s conversation:
leadership is about being a trustee of people’s time
friction isn’t the enemy — it’s the signal
and power makes you blind to the mess you’ve created.
ABOUT BOB:
Bob Sutton is a Stanford professor and organizational psychologist known for his practical research on friction, scaling excellence, and the hidden forces that shape how organizations function.
Music Credits: Rest in the Garden - SackJo22 ft Duckett & The Stubble Field Break (Mana Mixed) - Mana Junkie ft Apoxode
