How Stupid Rules are Holding Your Business Back

In a world moving from change to chaos, Lisa Bodell makes the case for subtraction: kill needless rules, cut administrivia, and restore focus to meaningful work. She shares a simple, leader-led process to remove friction, the cultural and retention gains from clarity, and how to use AI as a coach to identify what to stop, simplify, and stress-test. The takeaway: mandate simplification, model it, and reset leadership norms so teams spend time where it counts.

About the guest
Lisa Bodell is the founder of FutureThink and the bestselling author of Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company. Her work on simplification and innovation has influenced teams at Google, SAP, and Citi, and she’s a frequent contributor to outlets including Forbes, Fast Company, and The New York Times.

Episode Highlight
“We’ve moved into a world that’s not just about change, it’s about chaos. And the way to get control is simplification—value, not volume.” 

Actionable insights

• Run “Kill a Stupid Rule” regularly: Ask each team member to name two rules or processes in their sphere of control to eliminate—and why. Expect quick wins; many “rules” are just habits or time sucks. [03:53]
• Lead with permission and structure: Fear blocks simplification. Provide a clear forum, mandate subtraction targets, and pilot removals if needed. Leaders must personally commit to killing at least one rule. [09:53]
• Use AI as a coach for subtraction and strategy: Prompt for “what to remove” by function, surface wild cards, and stress-test plans. Upload internal playbooks to a private GPT and iterate; avoid sensitive data in public tools. [13:04]

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More About Lisa Bodell

Check out FutureThink and lisabodell.com
Your next read: Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company.
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn.

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