Discomfort as a Growth Engine
- Lisa Askins
- May 11
- 2 min read
Updated: May 21
Practical strategies for cultivating expansive thinking.
My digital life is built around showing me what I like, based on the assumption that what I like is what I need. But I’m far too curious for an algorithm with limits.
What happens when everything we see affirms what we already believe? What gets left out?
For leaders, that’s more than a tech issue. It’s a barrier to innovation.
When recommendation systems and curated content reinforce our preferences, leaders, and teams can unintentionally insulate themselves. Left unchallenged, these filters become fences. They limit not just what we see but what we imagine.
Great leaders don’t wait for discomfort. They cultivate it.
Discomfort, when handled with care, builds clarity, trust, and resilience. It stretches thinking. It brings a fresh perspective.
Here are a few practical strategies for you and your team to uncover what’s often overlooked:
Talk Less. Ask Better Questions.
Model curiosity. Ask open-ended, insight-generating questions—and encourage your team to do the same.
“What are we not seeing?”
“What’s the impact if we don’t do this?”
Facilitate the Counterpoint.
Assign someone in meetings to challenge the dominant view or explore the alternative path.
Encourage debate, not just discussion.
Build Listening as a Leadership Skill.
Active listening isn’t passive. It’s strategic. Help your team hold space without rushing to fix or defend.
Normalize Feedback as a Gift.
Make feedback routine, not rare.
Invite the Uncomfortable Insight.
At key moments, ask:
“What would be uncomfortable for us to say but important to hear?”
Create Space for Reflection.
After major decisions or turning points, pause and ask:
“What surprised us?”
“What assumptions did we bring in?”
It’s hard to cultivate expansive thinking in a filtered reality. True innovation doesn’t come from consensus. It grows through open, evolving conversation.
Inspired leadership isn’t about being the most comfortable person in the room. It’s about being the most open. Open to what’s uncomfortable. Open to what’s inconvenient. Open to what lies beyond the algorithm.
Want to keep growing your leadership mindset?
Let’s talk. I work with purpose-driven leaders and teams who are ready to lead with more clarity, confidence, and connection.
