Episode 46: FRICTION: How Tension, Emotion, and Change Reveal Better Leaders | with Dr. Maggie Sass and Dr. Ross Blankenship

Dr. Maggie Sass and Dr. Ross Blankenship are consulting psychologists and executive coaches who have spent decades working with executives and senior leaders, and they came to a conclusion that changed how I think about emotions at work entirely. We’re often taught to push past tension or ignore the defensiveness that spikes during tough meetings. But Maggie and Ross argue that friction isn't a problem to solve, but critical information for making decisions. Emotions are the medium through which all work happens. Their new book, Friction: How Tension, Emotion, and Change Reveal Better Leaders, is backed by a national survey of over 1,100 working Americans, and it makes the case that human-centered leadership and emotional intelligence are becoming more essential, not less, as AI reshapes how we work. Order Dr. Ross and Dr. Maggie’s latest book, Friction:Website: https://www.talentsmarteq.com/friction/Amazon: https://a.co/d/09kK3yTq ADDITIONAL LINKS: Nir Eyal on habit-forming products: https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/ MIT study on AI and cognitive load, "Your Brain on ChatGPT": https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ Dr. Marc Brackett on the RULER framework for emotional intelligence: https://marcbrackett.com/ruler/ Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions: https://www.6seconds.org/2025/02/06/plutchik-wheel-emotions/ Lisa Feldman Barrett on how emotions are constructed by the brain: https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/books/how-emotions-are-made/   CONNECT WITH MAGGIE:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiesass-phd/Website: https://www.talentsmarteq.com/ CONNECT WITH ROSS:Website: https://www.tuesdayadvisors.com/Substack: https://rossblankenship.substack.com/Website: https://www.rossblankenship.io/ CONNECT WITH KRISTIANA:Website: https://www.worthytolead.co/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristianacoronaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthytolead/