Fd = ½ ρ v² Cd A

This is the Rayleigh drag equation, or the drag force relationship. It is one of the fundamental relationships in fluid dynamics and appears in virtually every aerospace, automotive, and marine engineering textbook. The critical part of the equation is the “v²”. The force required to move through a fluid increases exponentially with velocity. In other words, the faster you go, the harder you have to push.

There is a fairly simple reason for this reality in fluid dynamics. When you move through a fluid (air, water, etc.), you’re essentially shoving fluid molecules out of your way. The faster you go, the more molecules you have to displace and the more violently you’re hitting and displacing those molecules.

I was observing an interaction between a couple of people one day when I noticed something we should all intuitively know. The harder one person pushed, the more resistance the other person put up. Simple fluid dynamics. When we are in conflict with another person, we are trying to move an idea, thought, or plan through the “fluid” of their existing reality.

Most leaders think the answer is to push harder. We believe that more force, more urgency, or more pressure will overcome the resistance. But the drag equation tells us something different. When you increase velocity, resistance doesn’t just increase—it increases exponentially. Double your speed, and you quadruple the resistance. This is why the hardest-driving leaders often accomplish the least.

I’ve watched leaders try to force organizational change at breakneck speed, only to create so much drag that nothing actually moves. People dig in. Passive resistance becomes active opposition. The very force meant to create momentum instead generates heat, friction, and, ultimately, failure.

The counterintuitive truth is this: sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.

But slowing down isn’t the only answer. Look at that drag coefficient, the “Cd” in the equation. It represents the shape of what you’re pushing through the fluid. A sleek, streamlined shape encounters far less resistance than a blunt object, even at the same velocity. This matters for leaders. It’s not just about what you’re pushing; it’s about how you’ve shaped it.

Have you taken time to frame your idea in a way that fits the reality your people are living in? Have you connected it to what they already care about? Or are you just trying to ram a square peg through a round hole at high velocity? The shape of your message, the timing of your approach, the way you’ve crafted the story—all of this determines how much resistance you’ll face.

Then, there’s the fluid itself—the “ρ” representing density. You can’t change water into air, but you can change the medium you’re working in. Trust lowers viscosity. Psychological safety reduces density. When people feel safe, when they trust you, your ideas move through the organization with far less resistance. This is why leaders who invest in relationships first can move faster later. They’ve changed the fluid.

I’ve learned this the hard way more times than I care to admit. Early in my leadership journey, I thought my job was to have the right answer and convince everyone else I was right. I’d come in hot with solutions, ready to push through whatever resistance appeared. And I created drag. Lots of it.

Now I spend more time listening than talking. I shape my ideas carefully. I work on the relationships that lower the density of the medium I’m working in. And when I do move forward, I’m mindful of velocity.

Because there’s a natural limit to how fast any organization can sustainably change. In physics, it’s called terminal velocity, the point where drag force equals driving force and acceleration stops. Push beyond that, and you don’t go faster. You just burn more fuel and create more heat.

Every organization has a terminal velocity for change. Try to exceed it, and you don’t accelerate transformation; you create burnout, turnover, and breakdown. Sustainable change happens at a pace the organization can absorb, integrate, and live into.

This doesn’t mean accepting slowness for its own sake. It means being wise about where to apply force, how to shape your approach, and how fast to move. It means recognizing that the goal isn’t maximum speed; it’s effective movement in the right direction.

Leadership isn’t about overpowering resistance. It’s about moving wisely through it. It’s about resisting our urge to push harder and instead getting curious about what the resistance is telling us. What needs to be shaped differently? What relationships need strengthening? What pace is actually sustainable? These are the questions leaders ask when they choose to serve others with genuine care—the Bison Way.