, Smooth Leaders Don’t Win, The Gritty Ones Do...

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Hi !

Welcome to this week’s edition!

In the last edition, we discussed the power of momentum over resolutions.

This week, let’s discuss something a bit contrarian: inviting friction (not conflict), but subtle tension or added steps in your process so you can produce better work and sharper insights.

What’s In It For You:

• How friction differs from conflict and why that matters for leadership.

• Three friction-building strategies that can sharpen your team’s thinking.

• A simple “friction audit” to pinpoint areas that might benefit from a healthy dose of tension.

Let’s Reflect:

Do any of these resonate with you?

• Do you tend to remove every barrier, delay, or potential slowdown?

• Could ‘too smooth’ actually lead to overlooked details or missed breakthroughs?

• Is there a place in your current projects where a structured challenge might help?

Let’s rethink the assumption that the smoothest path is always the best one.

Insight: Why Friction ≠ Conflict

• Conflict often involves personal clashes or competing viewpoints that, if unmanaged, can erode trust.

• Friction concerns structural or procedural resistance, like an extra approval step or a scheduled pause to reconsider plans. It’s about intentionally slowing the process to sharpen outcomes.

Think of friction as the gear that forces you to check for blind spots and refine your thinking before minor oversights become major setbacks.

Three Friction-Building (Yes, Building!) Strategies for Leaders

1. Structured Pushback Sessions

   Leaders often focus on rapid approvals. Scheduling a step solely to encourage challenge appears to slow progress.

   • How It Helps: Constructive friction here reveals hidden flaws before you invest heavily in an idea. It also helps promote a culture of candid feedback.

2. Deliberate “Wait Periods”

   Most productivity advice tells you to compress timelines. But what if an enforced wait can help with deeper insights?

   • How It Helps: Pausing can expose missed angles, conflicting objectives, or hidden flaws well before final deployment.

3. Assign a Devil’s Advocate

   Who wants to invite criticism, right? Usually, we try to keep morale high.

   • How It Helps: Having one person (or rotating staff) question assumptions builds resilience. You head off roadblocks earlier, because friction in the room is controlled, not destructive.

Reflection Time: Your “Friction” Audit

1. Identify: Which part of your workflow is too smooth, risking complacency or superficial decisions?

2. Inject: Where can you add a structured review or critique that might initially slow you down but ultimately lead to better outcomes?

3. Communicate: How will you explain to your team that this “extra” step isn’t a barrier but a chance to refine and excel?

Hit reply to this email and share your answers; I’m curious to see how you put this into practice.

The Obstacle Is The Way - Ryan Holiday

Though not strictly about “friction,” this book reframes obstacles as opportunities, a mindset shift that aligns perfectly with our theme.

Holiday’s Stoic-inspired approach helps you see that the path to growth often runs through the obstacle, not around it.

Quick Note: Schedule Your Free 30-Minute Clarity Call

If you’re a senior leader looking to harmonise friction and flow, transforming minimal resistance into maximum innovation, I’m here to help. My approach blends emotional intelligence, structured reflection, and real-world leadership tactics.

👉 Schedule your complimentary 30-minute clarity call here

Fun Corner

Is there a quirky routine you swear by, like only brainstorming while walking backward or using a timer for every task?

Hit reply and share your oddball habit.

Thank you to everyone who responded last week!

A Personal Reflection

Many of you know I’m currently grieving the loss of my father-in-law, and it’s brought a lot of friction into my life in ways I didn’t expect.

To be honest, I’ve caught myself trying to avoid it, keeping busy, focusing on tasks that feel easier to control, and sidestepping the harder emotions.

But the thing about grief is that it doesn’t let you off the hook. It shows up anyway, often in the middle of something else, and forces you to deal with what you’ve been putting off.

For me, that friction has meant facing emotions I’d rather not deal with, about relationships, expectations, and even myself. It’s uncomfortable, messy, and far from something I’d choose, but I’ll have that over avoidance any day.

Right now, friction feels like a signal to stop running and just sit with it, no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable it is.

What about you? How do you handle friction when it shows up in your life?

The Final Word

Progress through constructive friction often outlasts those flashy but short-lived bursts of motivation. 

By allowing friction in the right places, you’re giving your goals the space to evolve into something remarkable.

What friction can you introduce this week?

Share Your Thoughts

I'm curious to hear about your journey through this week's newsletter. Feel free to hit reply and share your experiences or any revelations you've had.

How Else I Can Help

I also offer consulting services based on my senior leadership experience and am available for speaking engagements, including events, keynotes, podcasts, and course recordings. For further details, contact me here or reply to this email.

Thanks for reading!

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