How can high executives get out of their comfort zone?
What is the comfort zone?
The comfort zone is a psychological state that you create by yourself, in which you feel safe and free of risks. However, when you want to achieve a goal, you enter into a state of stress and anxiety which is difficult to get out of. It is dangerous for high executives not to leave their comfort zone because this can stop them from getting to the next level and it can also affect the performance of the organization.
What is the development zone for high executives?
High Executives are an essential pillar in organizations; therefore, it is important that they are located in the development zone. This is an area of expansion and learning, of overcoming challenges and growth. But, why is it so hard to identify that a high executive is inside the comfort zone? It is difficult because they develop multiple daily activities and spend a lot of time providing tools and advice for the company and team members. This responsibility routine affects executives’ desire to experience new things, to know the unknown and to take new risks. The comfort zone grows bringing consequences to the organization and its professional development. Leaders are guided by their past experiences to help others and, when experiencing new situations, they have a different vision for future development.
"Comfort is your biggest trap and getting out of your comfort zone is your biggest challenge as an executive."
Tips for high executives to leave their comfort zone and get into the development zone.
1. Have difficult conversations
When you are a company’s high executive, walking away from difficult conversations, from not confronting corporate conflicts head-on, is not the most constructive of approaches. It is inevitable to go through complicated moments when having some kinds of conversations but it is much better to face the problem in order to be able to move forward.
2. Have the courage to make tough decisions
It is difficult to have to make decisions when you are a high executive because the response to that action can benefit or harm many people. When you are an executive, there will be hard times when you have to make decisions acknowledging that it might upset staff or customers. However, this is something critical that needs to be done by the leader. Making these kind of decisions makes you a stronger leader and you have to learn from it rather than avoid it.
3. High executives must address failure
Experiencing failure is always uncomfortable. High executives need to be comfortable leaving their comfort zone and seize these moments to learn and succeed. It can be with a business idea, a new hire that does not work or an external factor. The reality is that it is normal to experience the feeling of having failed and, as an executive, you have to understand the problem, make conclusions about it and come up with a solution. This requires humility because it can be difficult to recognize and accept failure and it is the only way you can grow professionally and as a leader.
As an executive, you have to be careful to know how to differentiate between reaching personal and professional limits: experiencing too many changes can lead to negative consequences, such as anxiety or fatigue.
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