Discomfort Isn’t the Enemy
What if I told you that too much comfort is killing your performance?
It sounds counterintuitive. After all, conventional wisdom says comfy employees are productive employees. But research tells a different story.
According to Yerkes-Dodson law, a certain level of stress – think mild alertness, not anxiety attack – can help you focus and perform better. This means that embracing discomfort isn’t just a challenge; it’s a pathway.
In other words, the right kind and amount of discomfort isn’t a threat. It’s an asset.
Because recent history is littered with companies that prioritized comfort over adaptation.
Blockbuster ignored streaming, Kodak dismissed digital, and Blackberry clung to its keyboard. Comfort became complacency, which led to irrelevance.
In reality, the companies that “make it” aren’t blessed with a lucky totem or happen to stumble on the next great thing. They engineer discomfort.
So how do you manage discomfort so it fuels creativity and performance rather than causing chaos, or anxiety attacks?
Why Discomfort Fuels Growth
Let’s start with science.
The previously mentioned Yerkes-Dodson law tells us our performance can improve when we experience enough stress to challenge us to be better but not overwhelm our nervous system.
Think about star athletes. Pre-game or performance tension heightens their focus and sharpens their agility. Jalen Hurts before the Super Bowl. Simone Biles before an Olympic routine. They’re not overwhelmed, but they’re not scrolling TikTok either.
This applies across industries, careers, and people:
Artists embrace taboo and controversial themes to produce thought-provoking work
Entrepreneurs welcome uncertainty and risk to launch innovative ideas
Writers stare at a blank white screen and blinking cursor to push through to create breakthrough stories
The best leaders, teams, and individuals understand that discomfort is the price of great performance, and they design structures to manage it. Google’s “Project Aristotle” found that teams with structured tension outperformed others in problem-solving ability by 30%.
he right kind of discomfort keeps people engaged, thinking critically, and pushing past mediocrity.
What Happens When You Avoid Discomfort?
Let’s say you’re reading this and thinking, “Things around here are a little tense, but nothing that won’t fade into the distance if we ignore it.” To that, I’d say you’re not alone. And then I’d say, prepare to face some harsh consequences.
Organizations that prioritize comfort over challenge face predictable outcomes:
Innovation Stalls: When people aren’t challenged, they stop looking for better solutions. A 2023 McKinsey study found that companies with stagnant cultures were 50% less likely to develop market-leading innovations. And what happens when you’re not leading? You’re collecting the crumbs of the folks in front.
Complacency Takes a Front Seat: Without pressure to improve, performance drops. Gallup reports that low-challenge work environments lead to 21% lower productivity.
Change Feels Impossible: Small discomforts—difficult conversations, tough decisions—don’t just disappear. They accumulate rapidly, and what could have been a minor adjustment can become a full-blown crisis
Top Talent Walks: High performers don’t just look for stable work; they seek growth. In organizations that lack challenge, top employees are 30% more likely to leave within two years.
On the other hand, too much discomfort can lead to burnout, chaos, and a toxic culture. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace revealed that 65% of employees cited excessive workplace stress as the primary cause of their disengagement. So, the key is balance—introducing discomfort in a way that supports growth.
So where is the balance? Leaders need to create discomfort that fuels growth– not exhaustion.
How Leaders Can Introduce Controlled Discomfort
A year ago, I sat in a Zoom class where the professor opened with total silence.
At first, we assumed there was a tech issue. A few minutes passed. Some of us chuckled or made small talk. A few more minutes go by.
Silence.
Finally, I unmuted and asked, “What the hell is going on?”
More silence.
Frustrated, I muted myself. When she finally spoke, she explained: The exercise was intentional– to force us to sit in discomfort and build tolerance for it.
That single experience made me sharper. My focus for the rest of the semester? Unmatched.
My classmates and I still talk about this experience as one of the most visceral and important ones we’ve had to date because we experienced safe discomfort – nothing terrible was happening, but we felt the tension and it made us better. (If you’re reading this, Dr. Rowland, thank you, and I’m sorry for cussing in your class).
I’m not suggesting we mute ourselves indefinitely in meetings (though how funny would that be?). What I’m proposing is the right level of discomfort requires deliberate leadership.
Here’s how you can do it:
Normalize It
Discomfort isn’t failure– it’s progress. Reframe it. If you’re uncomfortable, you’re learning. Leaders should share their experiences of trying, failing, and improving.
Action: Replace “This is hard” with “This is growing.”
Make it a Shared Experience
People resist discomfort when they feel alone in it. Build collective resilience. When teams go through challenges together, they adapt faster.
Action: Hold conversations where teams discuss tough topics candidly, with psychological safety as the container.
Set Boundaries
Discomfort without structure leads to chaos, disengagement, burnout, or all three. Define what good discomfort looks like.
Action: Encourage pushback with phrases like, “Let’s ask hard questions today” or “I want unfiltered feedback on this.”
Be Honest
People can handle discomfort if they understand why it’s happening. Leaders who withhold information create anxiety– not resilience.
Action: Be upfront, saying, “We’re making a big shift. It will be tough, but here’s why this is happening.”
Provide a Map
Discomfort without clear direction feels like wandering around in the dark. But people stay engaged when they see where they’re going and how they’ll be supported.
Action: Instead of “Big changes ahead, get on board,” say, “Here’s our roadmap: three phases, two milestones, and support at every step.”
The Bottom Line
Discomfort isn’t something to avoid. When harnessed, it creates remarkable results.
That class experiment last year changed how I think about tension. It made me realize that when discomfort becomes routine, adaptation does, too.
Great teams don’t fear tension—they leverage it. Growth, change, and breakthroughs happen on the other side of discomfort, but only if you create the conditions for them.