Every time I’ve moved country I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone.

Each time made me a better leader and person.

If you want to grow as a leader, try doing something that makes you feel a bit lost.  

 I’ve lived and worked in five countries, across four continents, over four decades.

Each move meant starting a new life and phase of my career, it brought its own set of challenges:
– Navigating life in provincial Japan nearly 40 years ago, armed with only “ohayo gozaimasu” and a phrasebook
– Being called “Spud” in my London office because of my Irish surname, despite my Californian accent
– Wrestling South African bureaucracy while setting up my business
– Learning the rhythm of Portuguese builders (spoiler: it’s a slow one)

I won’t pretend it was all smooth. But here’s the thing, I was never put off by the discomfort.

In fact, I found it invigorating.

The challenge of learning new cultures, habits, people, systems and languages lit me up. And continues to.
The kindness of the people I met,  who quietly helped me find my feet, and kept me going. Many of whom are still lifelong friends.

The confidence of feeling that almost no matter where I might wind up, I’ll somehow land on my feet.

Discomfort isn’t always a signal that something’s wrong.
Often, it’s a sign you’re stretching yourself.

I call it ZOU – The Zone Of Uncomfortableness. It’s the place where real growth happens.

You don’t have to move countries to feel it. Here are some simple things I try to do regularly to keep stretching myself and growing:

-              Say yes to a project or task I don’t feel 100% ready for.

-              Start a new role.

-              Launch something new.

-              Start a conversation with a random stranger.

-              Ask for feedback from someone junior to me

-              Publish a post before I feel it’s perfect

-              Revisit an opinion I’ve held for a long time and challenge it

-              Let someone else lead a meeting I would normally chair

It's a lesson I bring into my coaching too. When clients I work with are feeling stale or stuck we set new challenges to invigorate them, rekindle their sense of purpose, and shake things up.

 Some of the questions we work through are:

-              What’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but keep putting off?

-              Where have you become too comfortable?

-              What would make your work feel more alive again?

-              What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

-              What would “fresh” look like for you this quarter?

Because discomfort builds empathy, with your team, your clients and yourself, it keeps you fresh.
And it reminds you what it feels like to be the new one.  Something every leader should remember.

👉 Where are you choosing growth over comfort right now?  And what is your Zou?