Beyond discomfort

I for one prefer to be comfortable. I think most of us do.

The reality however is, that in a world of uncertainty, discomfort is almost a certainty.

The word comfortable traces its roots to the Late Latin confortare—literally meaning “to strengthen much,” from com- (an intensive prefix) and fortis, meaning “strong”. When it entered Middle English in the 13th century, it meant to provide spiritual strengthening and encouragement. Only in 1769 did it acquire its modern sense of “offering physical comfort”.

This etymological shift highlights something we’ve forgotten.

Comfort was never about the absence of difficulty. It was about the presence of strength—about being fortified enough to face whatever comes.

Discomfort meanwhile can be pretty useful. It can serve as a signal that something needs attention, that something is up and action is needed. Just like the twinge in your back warning you to adjust before real damage occurs.

The temptation is to try and eliminate the discomfort. With physical discomfort that is often possible. In the wider, complicated world in which we are operating however it’s a much harder proposition. Geopolitics, macro-economic trends, social dynamics to name a few are all acting on us and our organisations even when we are not directly involved. We simply can’t control the variables. There are far too many interacting parts, different dynamics and triggers at play.

Research bears this out. Recent data shows that 63% of leaders see uncertain economic growth as their top threat, yet only 40% feel prepared to confront it—the lowest readiness level since 2021. The gap between what we’re facing and what we’re prepared for keeps widening.

But here’s what’s interesting - research on global leadership shows that tolerance for ambiguity is positively related to performance in complex environments. Even more encouraging, studies show that older employees tend to be more comfortable with ambiguity than younger ones—suggesting this isn’t just an innate trait but something that develops through experience.

So the question isn’t whether to eliminate discomfort, but how we respond to what it’s telling us.

When leaders respond to uncertainty by making defensively safe choices rather than strategically sound ones, research shows this defensive decision-making can cost organizations up to 10.8% of annual revenue in forgone opportunities. The discomfort we’re trying to avoid isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s expensive.

Perhaps we don’t need to become comfortable with discomfort so much as to recover comfort’s original promise - that we can be strengthened within uncertainty itself, responding wisely to the signals it sends.

How then can we use uncertainty as a means of strength?

Everything starts with how we think, what we believe and, therefore, what we pay attention to.

If we think of uncertainty as providing opportunity, possibility, protective warnings rather than threat we are off to a good start. If we believe that small actions can have outsized consequences—that what we do in our corner of the world can have far reaching, positive impacts—we’ll act differently. If we pay attention to the signals right in front of us, we will see the clues they are sending and be better placed to respond wisely.

McKinsey’s research on the 2007-08 financial crisis shows that resilient companies didn’t just bounce back better through downturns—they actually accelerated into the new reality, leaving competitors further behind. They used uncertainty as a catalyst for building strength.

So, next time you hear the phrase “we need to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” take comfort from this. Hidden in plain sight within that discomfort are possibility, potential and signals guiding us beyond the discomfort to a stronger, more resilient state.