Why Innovation Feels Like Extra Work

In my long engineering career, I have watched new tech buzzwords roll in, but none so puzzling as this rush to fit AI into every step of making software. We are told that machines now take over the boring work and free us to think bigger, yet the reality is a hasty mix of speedy deadlines and extra tasks that somehow multiply. The whole process is shifting faster than we can confirm if the work is lighter or simply more jumbled. Now, product creation supposedly leaps forward as AI weaves customer input with coding duties from start to finish. Instead of a steady pace, we get a wild sprint where quality checks, risk bans, and following strict rules are shoved in with regular coding. It seems we now juggle a lot more roles than ever, all dressed up as innovation. The promise of instant value feels more like a shortcut loaded with hidden extra effort. A major change is the claim that everyone in charge can now do it all. We are expected to decide, build, test, and even pitch ideas faster than before. Of course, a faster cycle often leaves less room to really understand if things work well, or if we are just speeding past mistakes. Efficiency becomes a buzzword as tasks get automated, but more work and new gremlins follow close behind. There is no denying potential improvement. Yet, one wonders if speeding up the process really fixes anything when we end up swapping one type of problem for another. In the race to outsmart old methods, the pressure mounts and gaps seem to linger no matter how fast we go. At the end of the day, as experienced leaders handling these changes, we must stay sharp despite the chaos; progress is rarely as simple as promised.

There’s a story about Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport that starts with a whole lot of people standing around. Frustrated. Constantly checking their watches. Passengers complained about how long it took to get their luggage. So the airport did what you’d expect: they hired more baggage handlers. They streamlined processes. They shaved minutes off delivery time. And it worked. Technically. Bags arrived faster. But the complaints didn’t stop. Because the issue wasn’t speed. It was the experience. People walked about a minute from their gate to baggage claim. Then stood around with nothing to do for 7 minutes. That 7 minutes felt like forever! That’s when the airport tried something weird. They moved the gates farther away from baggage claim. Now passengers had to walk 7 minutes to get to baggage claim But when they got there...BAM!...their luggage awaited.  Complaints dropped to nearly zero.  Same bags. Same people. Same airport.  The only thing that changed was the walk.  We don’t hate waiting. We hate standing still.  This story isn't just about airports.  We assume faster=better. But that’s not always true.  Travelers at the airport didn't want faster service. They wanted to feel that their time wasn't wasted.  I see a lot this same thing inside teams struggling to innovate. They want the bag to show up. But they don’t want to take the walk.  The illusion of motion vs. the reality of effort  Teams chase frictionless efficiency and call it innovation. They add tools. Automate tasks. Shortcut the creative process in the name of speed.  But creativity doesn’t arrive on a conveyor belt. Or a spreadsheet. Or slide deck. Great ideas come from effort. From the unexpected detours that feel like they’re taking too long and going nowhere.  They come from discomfort.  When we design everything to be fast, seamless, and buttoned up, we skip discomfort. And when we do that, it actually makes us feel worse, not better. We feel bored. Or stuck.   Because we’ve eliminated the very friction that sparks creativity.  The baggage claim isn’t the problem. The thinking is.  Innovation isn’t always about solving the obvious problem.  Sometimes the challenge isn’t the bag. It’s what happens while you wait for it.  Innovation isn’t always about delivering faster. It’s about designing better. More human. More intuitive. More honest about how people actually experience things.  Sometimes that means making the walk longer on purpose.  And that makes all the difference.  What's this got to do with your next idea?  A lot, actually.  Because you might be trying to shortcut your way to something that can’t be rushed.  You might be mistaking convenience for creativity. Or productivity for progress. Or speed for value.  Maybe the problem isn’t that your idea’s taking too long. Maybe it's that you haven’t taken the walk.  The question I want you to ask yourself is this: Where have you mistaken speed for strategy?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁 🚨 The Hidden Cost of Innovation: Why Change Hurts More Than You Think Everyone loves talking about innovation... That is, until it threatens something familiar. Here's the paradox: Innovation promises progress, but psychologically, it often feels like loss. And leaders wonder why their people resist change. The answer? Our brain was built to protect us from loss, not chase novelty. 💔 I've Seen This Resistance Firsthand In three decades of decoding Emotional Source CodeTM, a term I use to describe the underlying emotional patterns that drive our behavior, I've worked with brilliant leaders who are baffled by why their teams stall when it's time to evolve. It's not laziness. It's not sabotage. It's neuroscience. Even after years of experience, I can still find myself shutting down my own ideas prematurely, simply as they take me out of what's familiar. Our brains are wired to treat uncertainty like a threat. The more disruptive the innovation, the more our internal alarms go off. If you and I, as leaders, ignore this? We don't just lose momentum—we lose trust. ⛔ The Cost of Innovation Without Buy-In ❌ Brilliant ideas die in "maybe later." ❌ Culture fractures under fear of loss. ❌ You create change, but not transformation. 🔑 Okay, Now What? Lead With Neuro-Emotional Intelligence ✔ Normalize fear as part of progress. For instance, when introducing a new project, acknowledge the potential fears and uncertainties your team might have and assure them that it's a natural part of the process. We often want to deny or dismiss fear; don't bother, it won't help. See it, recognize and label it. ✔ Create psychological safety by honoring the grief of what's ending. Even the shitty things are familiar, and so letting them go has a natural melancholy. ✔ Teach your people to decode their resistance—it's where the gold is. By labeling resistance as a natural part of the process and not making the resistance wrong, your people can, without shame, see what it's about for themselves. 🚀 The Results: Sustainable Innovation, Rooted in Belonging When your people feel seen in their fear, they don't freeze—they engage. They move from compliance to commitment. From survival mode to creativity. 👇 Tell us: what's one thing you had to let go of so you could innovate? Let’s start the conversation in the comments. Share your experiences with leading through change and how you've managed to overcome resistance in your team. ➖➖➖ 👉 Type “WHY” in the COMMENTS below, and I’ll send you a FREE copy of my special report for you titled “Purpose’s Missing Piece.” It’s a guide for transforming your personal and organizational culture by discovering the Why of your Why. #consciousleadership #innovation #management #leadership #mindsetshift #culture