A bearing system includes a sleeve bearing supported on a shaft and a gear supported on the sleeve bearing. The shaft has an outer diameter shaft surface, the sleeve bearing has an inner diameter bearing surface and an outer diameter bearing surface, and the gear has a gear bore surface. At least one of the outer diameter shaft surface, the inner diameter bearing surface, the outer diameter bearing surface, and the gear bore surface includes an isotropic surface finish and a hard thin film over the isotropic surface finish. During a break-in period of operation of the bearing system, the hard thin film over the isotropic surface finish breaks in a counter surface of the bearing system to extend a hydrodynamic lubrication period of operation of the bearing system.