Leonard A. Schlesinger

People resist change, and that's nothing new.

In 1979, John Cotter and Leonard Schlesinger wrote in the Harvard Business Review that people resist change at work for four common reasons— 1.

They expect to lose something they value.

2.

In today's episode, you'll hear a case about what it takes to turn team tension into traction.

Harvard Business School Professor Len Schlesinger and Type Coach President Rob Toomey join host Brian Kenny to discuss how managers can recognize and work across cognitive differences to improve team dynamics.

They dig in on two team case studies where dysfunction isn't loud or dramatic, and they explore how to address that subtle tension before it derails performance or strains relationships.

Before we play the episode, make sure to follow Cold Call wherever you're listening.

Today's case brings us inside some high-intensity global team moments from Hanoi to Buenos Aires, where dysfunction isn't loud or dramatic at first.

It's subtle, it's human, and if it's not addressed, it can derail performance, strain relationships, and compromise impact.

Professor Len Schlesinger and guest Rob Toomey are joining me today to unpack this multi-chapter case and explore what's really going on beneath the surface and what it takes to turn tension into traction.

I'm your host, Brian Kenny, and you're listening to Cold Call on the HBR Podcast Network.