Approaching Uncomfortable Problems

Tony Robbins recently posted a LinkedIn Newsletter titled “How Comfortable Are You Being Uncomfortable?” where he stated, “Because the problems aren’t going away, we just get better at saying, ‘OK, this is outside my comfort zone, but I’m going to figure it out anyway.’ That’s what leaders do.” A strong leader does rally to solve uncomfortable problems. We do have to be mindful about how we approach them though.

Even when a problem is uncomfortable, our tendency is to stay within our comfort zone to solve it. That’s our programmed, safe reaction based on our skills and experiences. We all have our box that we operate out of automatically. The busier and more stressed we are, the more likely we are to hunker down in it.

Tackling problems that are outside of our comfort zone gives us an opportunity to grow in two ways. The first is to handle the discomfort and adversity with grace. The second is to consciously step out of our box to identify novel solutions that will stretch our and our team’s perspectives, thinking, skills, and talents.

Stephan Bodilis gives an inspiring seminar on thinking outside the box. He explains how our box is unconsciously constructed through our routines, perspectives, decisions and their consequences. However, by utilizing three key ingredients – knowledge, skills, and most of all, attitude – we can proactively step outside of our box to solve the uncomfortable problems that are more common in today’s business environments and achieve better outcomes. Reach out to Stephan at Stephan@PlatinumLeadershipConsulting.com if you’d like to hear how his seminar can help your team.

By the way, Tony Robbins’ post is inspiring and worth checking out!