Many leaders are trained to believe that progress requires adding more effort, more meetings, more strategies, more pressure. But often, the real work of leadership is like curling: sweeping away friction so momentum can build naturally.
Gayle Lantz challenges the “badge of honor” mentality around working harder and introduces a different approach, leading with a broom, not a bulldozer.
As Gayle explains, “Most of the leaders I work with don’t have a motivation problem. They have a friction problem.”
This episode explores where friction shows up in leadership in operations, systems, team dynamics, and especially in our own minds. Gayle shares the architectural work of leadership: redesigning the flow so people can move without tripping over unnecessary complexity.
She offers six powerful reflection questions to help you identify what’s creating drag in your leadership, from over-complicating processes to holding limiting beliefs. These questions work both individually and with teams to uncover hidden obstacles.
Drawing from her own house reconstruction project and the metaphor of curling, Gayle invites leaders to shift from asking “What more should I do?” to “What can I sweep away?”
This episode covers:
- The curling metaphor for leadership
- Shifting from adding to subtracting
- Common sources of friction (operations, systems, team dynamics, internal beliefs)
- Six reflection questions to identify what needs to be removed
- How to adapt these questions for team use
- The inner work of releasing beliefs that create friction
- Making progress feels lighter by removing obstacles
LINKS
Previous CEO On The Go Episodes:
Using AI to Communicate More Authentically with Allison Shapira #290
Staying Calm Under Pressure – How to Regulate Your Nervous System and Lead Better with Anna Liotta #289