About this episode
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.
This week, we explore why "friction" might be the secret to better judgment, the brutal reality of AI-driven layoffs at Block, and why your boss's 10:47 PM emails are exhausting your entire team. Plus, we dig into the science of whether leadership is written in your DNA.
? Stories Covered
1. The Rise of "Friction-maxxing"
Leanne introduces a new term: friction-maxxing. Inspired by reporting in the Financial Times, this movement sees workers deliberately choosing slower, more effortful ways of working—like handwriting notes or reading full documents instead of AI summaries—to combat "cognitive atrophy" and build nuanced judgment.
Source: https://www.ft.com/content/fd5e65df-83c7-42f3-9658-377c99df42d1
2. Jack Dorsey’s AI Gamble
Al discusses the recent layoffs at Block (formerly Square/Twitter), where CEO Jack Dorsey cut 4,000 jobs—40% of the workforce—and explicitly blamed AI productivity gains. We debate whether this "rip the plaster off" honesty is refreshing or a dangerous precedent for the future of work.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/27/block-ai-layoffs-jack-dorsey
3. The Climate of Constant Connectivity
New research in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology reveals that when leaders use smartphones for work after hours, they create a shared "climate of constant connectivity". This doesn't just annoy individuals; it leads to collective emotional exhaustion across the entire team.
Source: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joop.70067
? Truth or Lie: Are Leaders Born or Made?
We tackle the "Great Man" theory of leadership. While studies of identical twins show that between 37% and 59% of leadership style variation can be linked to genetics, that still leaves more than half the equation down to environment, experience, and development.
The Verdict: It’s a Lie—leadership is not a genetic script; it is a practicable skill shaped by opportunity and self-awareness.
? Workplace Surgery
This week, we answer three tough listener questions:
The Nepotism Trap: How do you push back when a senior leader
