Changemaker Mindset

Bob Sutton: Rule #1 - Don’t Be An Asshole

Jan 20, 2025

Bob Sutton, a Stanford Business School professor and bestselling author, shares his insights on cultivating positive work environments while avoiding toxic behaviors. He recounts his unique journey from a pizza shop to academia, emphasizing the impact of personal relationships and randomness in his career. Sutton discusses the importance of evidence-based management and the effects of leadership styles on employee morale. He also highlights the founding of Stanford's D School, where creativity thrives within constraints, and the vital role of humility in academic success.

44:02

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Episode guests

Bob Sutton

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Quick takeaways

Evidence-based management is essential for informed decision-making, yet overwhelming noise in available evidence poses challenges for managers.

Fostering a respectful workplace culture while balancing kindness and accountability is vital for energizing teams and improving performance.

Deep dives

The Journey of Evidence-Based Management

The discussion highlights the importance of evidence-based management, which emphasizes the need for informed decision-making using reliable data. The speaker reflects on past difficulties with business literature, often filled with conflicting advice from consultants and executives. This approach suggests that while striving for evidence-based practices, managers face challenges due to the overwhelming noise within available evidence. Embracing a more pragmatic and less dogmatic view on management can lead to better decision-making at all levels.

Intro

2min

Exploring Evidence-Based Management and Leadership Dynamics

5min

Lessons from Pizza to Leadership

8min

From Stoner to Scholar: The Role of Randomness in Life Paths

2min

Creativity Within Constraints

21min

The Power of Humility in Academia

5min

Bob Sutton is among the most influential business scholars today. One of Stanford’s Business School’s most distinguished professors, a bestselling author of seven books including, most recently, The Friction Project, he has advised CEO’s ranging from Pixar’s Ed Catmull to IDEO’s David Kelley.

Yet his career didn’t start out in an ivory tower, but in a pizza shop smoking pot. It was through a series of relationships, starting with the woman who would become his wife, that he found his path. Along the way he built the bonds that led to penetrating insights about how organizations function.

In this episode, Bob shares his thoughts on how leaders do—and don’t—create the conditions for their organizations to succeed and shares personal anecdotes about famous CEOs, the founding of Stanford’s “D-School” and much more.

Bob Sutton’s website: https://www.bobsutton.net/

Bob’s new book: https://amzn.to/40gaDTH

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