Worklife with Adam Grant
How to become a "friction-fixer" with Bob Sutton
Jan 30, 2024
Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist at Stanford and bestselling author, discusses how to become a 'friction-fixer' in the workplace. He emphasizes the importance of empathetic leadership and being a better listener. Sutton reveals surprising benefits of inconvenience and how being perceived as boring can actually strengthen leadership. The conversation touches on navigating tough decisions and fostering healthy dialogue among teams, challenging conventional approaches to organizational dynamics.
38:14
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Quick takeaways
- Implementing good friction in organizations can help reduce confusion and improve efficiency.
- Occasional boredom as a leadership skill can create a calm environment and reduce unnecessary attention.
Deep dives
The importance of making workplaces more effective
Bob Sutton emphasizes the significance of making workplaces more efficient and improving people's lives. He shares that as a PhD student, his mentor taught him the responsibility to have an impact on work environments. He also mentions how his late father's complaints about the US government's dysfunctionality influenced his interest in fixing broken workplaces.
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