The action of leadership sometimes is similar to doing a cold plunge. The idea of going into 3+ feet of water that's around degrees or colder is something most human beings instinctively try to avoid. Even if it is only for a short amount of time - say 3 minutes - the idea of being that uncomfortable is not an easy task for most people to simply dive into. Even with the growing research on the health benefits of cold plunging, people still have a hard time with that first dip into the cold water.
The simple fact is this: we are hardwired to avoid discomfort.
It takes a conscious effort to fight that hardwiring and embrace the discomfort. Only then can you get into that freezing cold water for 3 minutes, fight the thoughts and feelings of discomfort, and walk out of the water feeling better than were before!
Leadership is not far off from this analogy. Your actions of leadership will eventually get to a point of discomfort. But instead of your skin being submerged in freezing cold water, you may have to tell your organization's executive committee about the elephant in the room regarding the slumping financial numbers. Where your skin might be turning a different color from the temperature of the water, your face might get a little flushed when you have to tell your boss(es) that they have been avoiding the hard issues of diversifying the workforce for too long.
Taking a stand and asking tough questions, or making tough statements on the challenges your organization is facing are both examples of discomfort you will have to embrace in order to (eventually) see the benefits of your desired change within your organization. Slumping financials and lack of workforce diversity will not get solved while you are feeling comfortable. Embracing discomfort in the action of leadership starts with you taking that leap into the cold water for the next few minutes
But leadership is not about the actions of one person: it involves inspiring others to act as well. This means you must inspire others to also embrace being uncomfortable as well if you wish to tackle those lingering challenges your organization is facing. Imagine trying to get your whole team to go into that cold plunge for the next 3+ minutes!
Leadership involves getting others to embrace just enough discomfort to take action on the challenges that their organization is facing.
Most organizations will avoid discomfort like it is the plague. Just like individual people, organizations take on the sentiments of those who are a part of it. This is especially true of those in positions of authority, who are stewards of the company culture. The status quo remains the way it is not for lack of theoretical desire to change, but for the roadblock that is the human experience of avoiding discomfort as much as possible. If your company avoids discomfort as much as possible, then they risk having their challenges remain the status quo for a long time.
Conversely, If your company culture embraces discomfort as a catalyst for change, then you will find that most challenges within the company have a better chance of being solved.
Embracing discomfort may start with you getting into the cold water, but it requires bringing others into the cold plunge to drive change. True leadership transforms this collective willingness to face discomfort into a powerful force for overcoming challenges and the adaptability to face future challenges as well.
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