Culturally competent leaders build better teams and get better outcomes by modeling humility and adaptability.

Research shows microaggressions cause measurable harm: 3x higher quit rates and 4x higher burnout among women.

Adopting a process-based approach instead of seeking outcomes is aligned with evidence-based principles.

No one comes to therapy asking for more discomfort. And no leader wakes up hoping to feel uncertain. Yet culturally competent leadership requires exactly that - tolerating not knowing, receiving feedback without defensiveness, and accepting that growth as a leader has no endpoint.

The costs of avoiding this work are measurable. Leaders who lack cultural competence see higher turnover, lower productivity, and less innovation (Campos-Moreira et al., 2020). Women in the workplace are especially harmed by poor leadership when it comes to diversity. According to the 2023 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & LeanIn.org, “women who experience microaggressions…are three times more likely to think about quitting their jobs and four times more likely to almost always be burned out.”

In this post, I'll outline three types of discomfort that leaders actively avoid, and specific ways to counteract them and increase your impact.

What is Culturally Competent Leadership?

Culturally competent leadership is not an endpoint but a process grounded in “self-awareness, skill acquisition, and flexibility” (Campos-Moreira et al., 2020). This ongoing work fosters respect and inclusivity on teams, which leads to higher innovation, productivity, and satisfaction.

For leaders accustomed to quantifiable outcomes, this open-ended process can feel both inspiring and discouraging because there's no certification or finish line. But that's precisely what makes it essential, especially in VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) environments that by definition, are dynamic and unstable.

3 Types of Discomfort Leaders Tend to Avoid

The Discomfort of Not Knowing

Leaders are often (and unfairly) expected to “have all the answers” and “know what to do” when in reality, leadership is actually about chasing a moving target - oftentimes with a blindfold on.

There is certainly a place for expertise and decisiveness, especially of the human kind, but in order to build bridges and solve unprecedented problems, leaders must be able to tolerate not knowing so that learning and growth can occur. This could look like adopting a position of cultural humility in order to learn from team members with less organizational power or intentionally fostering shared decision-making processes (Campos-Moreira et al., 2020).

In practice, this might mean saying in a team meeting: “I don't have the answer to this yet, and I'd like to hear from people who have different perspectives than mine.” Or, if a team member from a different cultural background challenges your approach, instead of immediately defending it, try: “I haven't considered that perspective. Help me understand how you see this differently.”

By modeling your ability to tolerate uncertainty and invite input, you give permission for team members to do the same, creating a culture where not knowing is normalized, leading to more creative problem solving.

The Discomfort of Impact versus Intention

As the saying goes, “The path to Hell is paved with good intentions.” No matter how much you believe that and aspire to align your impact with intentions, we all make mistakes, and it can be deeply uncomfortable to be confronted with an impact you didn’t intend.

For example, let’s say you have a direct and sometimes confrontational style of communication, and a new team member tells you that because of your directness, they feel uncomfortable asking clarifying questions about a task. Your first instinct might be to defend your intent (“Directness isn't meanness!'). Cultural humility means pausing that impulse and saying instead: “Thank you for telling me. I didn't intend harm, but I hear that my communication style had a negative impact. Can you help me understand why?” While this is a vulnerable position to take, especially for leaders who are not accustomed to receiving feedback, it signals openness and respect, leading to greater trust and understanding in team relationships.

The Discomfort of Process

Unlike technical skills where you eventually gain mastery, cultural competence work is never done. As researchers Steve Gulati and Catherine Weir note, cultural competence in leadership development is "not a destination but a process." This means that in order to grow, leaders must learn to tolerate the associated discomfort.

For example, let’s say you’ve just completed a training on unconscious bias and feel more confident in your ability to avoid microaggressions. Six months later, you catch yourself making an assumption based on someone's accent, and they later tell you they felt targeted by your behavior. Instead of beating yourself up, or minimizing the importance of working on bias, you might remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes, and that self-awareness and repair are more important than perfection (which doesn’t exist, anyway).

Develop Processes for Continued Growth

To make this ongoing work sustainable, build reflection into your practice. Set a quarterly reminder to ask yourself:

What's one way my cultural competence has grown this year?

What's one area where I still feel like a beginner?

What's one action I can take in the next 90 days?

These questions keep you engaged with the process without requiring perfection. Even better, think of ways to integrate these reflection questions into your team meetings, performance reviews, and strategic planning. The more you can integrate the principles of cultural humility in your routine processes, the more powerful the outcomes.

Campos-Moreira, L. D., Cummings, M. I., Grumbach, G., Williams, H. E., & Hooks, K. (2020). Making a Case for Culturally Humble Leadership Practices through a Culturally Responsive Leadership Framework. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 44(5), 407–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2020.1822974

Gulati, S., & Weir, C. (2022). Cultural Competence in Healthcare Leadership Education and Development. Societies, 12(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12020039

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