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/kristianacorona
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthytolead/