Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It
2 Dec 2025
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Leadership demands courage and the ability to sit with discomfort—yet today’s high-stakes climate often leaves leaders little room to err or be human. In this IdeaCast episode, former Ford Foundation president Darren Walker explores why navigating discomfort has become so difficult.

Listen here: https://s.hbr.org/49R1tDx

Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It 2 Dec 2025 --- Leadership demands courage and the ability to sit with discomfort—yet today’s high-stakes climate often leaves leaders little room to err or be human. In this IdeaCast episode, former Ford Foundation president Darren Walker explores why navigating discomfort has become so difficult. Listen here: https://s.hbr.org/49R1tDx

Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It

At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. We try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. 

We encourage comments, critiques, and questions. We expect our community to be a safe space for respectful, constructive, and thought-provoking discussion. We reserve the right to remove or turn off comments at our discretion. We do not tolerate bullying, name-calling, or abusive language related to identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, or region; spam; copyright violation; extreme profanity; or p*rnography.

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At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. We try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We encourage comments, critiques, and questions. We expect our community to be a safe space for respectful, constructive, and thought-provoking discussion. We reserve the right to remove or turn off comments at our discretion. We do not tolerate bullying, name-calling, or abusive language related to identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, or region; spam; copyright violation; extreme profanity; or p*rnography.

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Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It

Leadership Requires Discomfort, But Our System Discourages It