It took an ice bath at two degrees to realise I’m wired differently. Here’s why that matters for your team.

I had always assumed I loved a challenge. It took a week away — and an ice bath at two degrees — to realise how much I love being genuinely uncomfortable. They are not quite the same thing.

The week was restorative, though not in a conventional sense; blindfolded dancing, sound baths, daily ice baths at eight to ten degrees. On the final morning after a breathwork session, I did one at two degrees.

I had gone intending to read and gather my thoughts. As it turned out, the conversations were just as valuable – a varied group of people all there for similar reasons, with very different perspectives on life and work.

Was I nervous about the activities? Yes. A little apprehensive? Absolutely. But alongside the nerves there was excitement. The discomfort itself was energising. And it got me thinking about how that same feeling shows up in my work every day.

When a client rings with a difficult problem, my first instinct isn’t dread — it’s curiosity. What can I do here? How do we solve this? I’ve always said I love a challenge, but I hadn’t quite taken that to its logical conclusion: I don’t just tolerate discomfort. I actively seek it out.

To be clear — this isn’t about enjoying being uncomfortable; I have no desire to remodel a kitchen or learn to weld. The discomfort that energises me is specific: it sits at the intersection of challenge and capability, where the problem is hard enough to stretch me but squarely within the territory I care about. In a leadership context, that’s the sweet spot. It’s not any discomfort — it’s the right kind.

Not everyone feels this way

In conversations on my return, several people I work closely with pushed back gently but honestly: “Why would I deliberately put myself out of my comfort zone? I’m quite happy where I am.”

I found that surprising and have continued thinking about it. I had assumed that the desire to push boundaries was more universal than it apparently is. It’s not a flaw in either direction. It’s just a real difference in how people are wired.

Some people find growth through depth and consolidation. Others find it through stretch and disruption. Neither is wrong — but as a leader, knowing the difference in your team is critical. It affects who you put forward for stretch roles, how you frame change, and whether the challenges you set are energising or simply exhausting for the person on the receiving end. A high-discomfort assignment handed to someone who thrives on consolidation isn’t development. It’s just stress.

Where do you sit on the scale?

If you were to score yourself from zero to ten — zero being I avoid discomfort wherever possible, ten being I actively seek it out — where would you land? And just as importantly: what type of challenge actually stretches you?

There’s no right answer. But it’s worth knowing. Because how you respond to challenge affects how you make decisions under pressure, how you show up for your team when things are uncertain, and whether discomfort signals danger to you or possibility.

This week confirmed something I had suspected but not managed to articulate: I don’t just cope with being uncomfortable. I need it. It’s where I do some of my best thinking.

So — where do you sit on that scale? And more importantly, does your answer change how you lead?