It is awesome to be uncomfortable!
Leadership is complex and requires skills and strengths in a number of areas. Many people think leadership focuses on strengths and skills. While this is a big part of leadership, it's not all of it. Specifically, it's important for leaders to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, too. Feeling uncomfortable or being in an uncomfortable position in the workplace is as much a part of leadership as mentoring, delegating responsibilities, and monitoring employees. Many leaders shy away from being uncomfortable. They are willing to do difficult things for their careers, but they don't want to be uncomfortable. This can result in shying away from tasks and responsibilities that they really should accomplish, and can ultimately have an impact on the leader's team and the organization itself. However, being uncomfortable as a leader is simply part of the process of leadership. It is important that leaders not shy away from being uncomfortable so they can lead teams effectively and contribute to organizational success. In fact, when leaders are uncomfortable, it is often a sign of growth taking place. For that reason, being uncomfortable as a leader should be embraced.
Being uncomfortable means you're growing
Lots of people think that once you're in a leadership position, work is easy. All you have to do is make sure employees are doing their jobs and sign some paperwork every now and then. But that's not what leadership is at all. Instead, when you move up in the company and shift toward leadership positions, you have to work harder and do more for your company to achieve operational and financial goals. But even when you reach a leadership position, it's important to continue to push yourself to improve and strengthen your skills as a leader. In order to do that, leaders have to be willing to be uncomfortable. When you're uncomfortable in a leadership position, it means you're pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone in some way. Unless you're willing to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, you're unable to grow as a leader. Even if you're not actively trying to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, finding yourself in an uncomfortable position as a leader means you're in a situation that can be an opportunity for growth as a leader. If you shy away from the situation because you're uncomfortable, you're missing out on an opportunity for growth as a leader. That can mean you stay stuck and may not be able to advance your career the way you want to.
Being uncomfortable means your employees are growing
Another reason you might be uncomfortable as a leader is because your employees are growing. As a leader, you may find yourself in a position that requires you to push your employees. You might want to push your employees to improve productivity or to help them achieve greater successes on their individual career paths. You may need to push your employees in order to meet the company's goals and objectives, such as meeting production numbers. This can be hard to do and make you feel uncomfortable. Confrontation is rarely a comfortable situation, and if you're pushing your employees, you may be forced to engage in some confrontation. In this situation, confrontation is, ultimately, a good thing. And if you want your employees to improve or to reach your production goals, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable as a leader. If you back off when you start to feel uncomfortable, your employees won't grow and improve and you may not be able to achieve organizational goals and objectives.
Being uncomfortable means your company is growing
Finally, if you're uncomfortable as a leader, it may mean that your company is going through growth and changes, and your work as a leader is reflecting those changes. When changes occur in the organization, you are forced to change. Change can make you uncomfortable as you adjust to what has changed and find your new path to success in the new environment. As a leader, it's imperative to adapt to changes when they occur in the organization so you can keep leading your team members to achieve their goals and objectives. As a leader, allowing yourself to be uncomfortable as the company is going through changes means you're adapting to continue leading effectively. That makes you an asset to your organization in the midst of change. Not only does that mean you can help your organization navigate its growth and changes but you can help your team members adapt and grow within the new growth of the organization. It may be uncomfortable to adapt, but it is a sign that the company is growing and will continue to be successful.
It's not always easy to embracing being uncomfortable when you're a leader. In fact, many leaders try to shy away from being in uncomfortable positions to make things easier for themselves and their teams. But being uncomfortable is an important part of effective leadership. When a leader is in an uncomfortable position, it means that some kind of growth is taking place. It may be the leader, the employees, or the organization that is growing. If leaders shy away from being uncomfortable, they are shying away from these opportunities for growth. Instead, leaders should start to recognize the value of being uncomfortable so they can embrace the opportunities for growth and use them to strengthen their skills as leaders in the organization.
