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From the rapid rise of AI to shifting workforce expectations and near-constant organizational transformation, leaders today are navigating more disruption than ever before. In this environment, resilience has become more than a leadership asset—it’s a necessity.
According to Forbes, resilience is actually the most coveted leadership skill of 2025, helping leaders stay grounded, perform under pressure, and build trust during periods of uncertainty.
At Medley, we view resilience not as a fixed trait but as a skill that can be developed. One of the most powerful ways to strengthen it is by learning to embrace discomfort. That theme came through clearly in our recent Medley Moments conversation with Robin Washington, President and Chief Operating & Financial Officer at Salesforce, who encouraged leaders to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Reflecting on her early career, Robin shared how growth often followed the hardest stretches: “I realized that the first 10 years of your career, you probably learn more about what you don’t want to do than what you do. So being open to different experiences—that’s how you stretch.”
Her words reinforce a powerful leadership truth: discomfort isn’t a sign to pull back—it’s a sign that you’re growing. And resilience is what helps you keep going.
At Medley, we help leaders build these capabilities through small-group coaching that’s both structured and deeply personal. In these settings, leaders reflect, stretch, and grow—supported by peers and guided by expert coaches
Here are five foundational behaviors we coach at Medley that help leaders develop resilience.
1. Acknowledge What You’re Feeling—Then Zoom Out
Uncertainty naturally stirs emotion––stress, self-doubt, frustration. Resilient leaders start by naming what they’re feeling. This simple act creates just enough space to respond with intention instead of impulse.
This practice draws from cognitive defusion, a tool from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) built on a simple idea: you are not your thoughts. By noticing them, without being pulled under, leaders create space to respond with clarity instead of getting swept up in reactivity.
Sometimes, the thoughts we notice are subtle. Other times, they arrive as a full-throated inner critic questioning our competence, timing, or worth. For many leaders, that voice shows up most clearly in moments of stretch.
Through coaching, we’ve seen that when leaders pause to identify their internal response, they’re far better equipped to manage external challenges with intention. Naming discomfort—and seeing it as a signal of growth rather than a threat—is the first step to managing it productively.
2. Reframe Discomfort as a Signal for Growth
Resilient leaders don’t avoid discomfort—they give it meaning. Instead of viewing difficult moments as signs of failure or misalignment, they see them as opportunities to learn, stretch, and strengthen.
This mindset shift is grounded in cognitive reappraisal, a technique that helps leaders reinterpret stressful situations in ways that support growth. When leaders ask, “What am I learning here?” or “What strength am I building?” they change the emotional tone of the experience—and unlock forward momentum.
We see this in Medley coaching sessions all the time. A leader navigating a tough reorg might reframe the moment from “I’m overwhelmed” to “I’m practicing adaptability.” Someone stepping into a stretch role might realize that their discomfort is a sign of growth, not a lack of readiness. Over time, this reframing becomes a habit—and that habit becomes resilience.
Robin Washington models this perspective in how she approaches her own moments of uncertainty. Reflecting on times when she doubted whether she had taken on too much, she shared: “The voice in your head is probably your biggest critic. But I’ve learned that when I’m uncomfortable, I’m usually on the edge of growth.”
Her insight is a reminder that discomfort often signals we’re doing something important, not wrong. Reframing it that way turns it into a source of clarity and confidence—both for ourselves and the teams we lead.
3. Navigate the Emotional Arc of Change
Resilience isn’t just about managing change—it’s about understanding the emotional response that comes with it. One of the most widely used frameworks for this is the Kübler-Ross Change Curve, which outlines the psychological journey people often experience in times of transition.
Originally developed to model grief, this curve has been adapted in leadership and organizational contexts to help teams and individuals make sense of emotional reactions to change. It maps a predictable path: from initial shock and resistance, through confusion and curiosity, to eventual acceptance, commitment, and even enthusiasm.
At Medley, we use this model to help leaders name where they are in that arc—and just as importantly, where others around them might be. This awareness helps leaders respond with empathy, normalize discomfort, and create clarity during uncertain times.
1.0 The Kübler-Ross Change Curve illustrates the emotional stages individuals often experience during change—from endings and uncertainty to new beginnings.
4. Practice Micro-Actions that Build Confidence
Resilience isn’t built by waiting for confidence—it’s built by acting through uncertainty. At Medley, we use the Engage, Embrace, Endure framework to help leaders map their sense of agency to their adaptability. It starts with choosing to engage in a moment of challenge, embracing the discomfort that follows, and learning to endure through intentional action.
We’ve seen this in our coaching sessions where leaders feel stuck ahead of a high-stakes presentation or difficult conversation. Instead of retreating, they focus on one small step—writing a rough outline, scheduling the meeting, or asking a direct question. These micro-actions compound over time, turning discomfort into forward motion.
2.0 The Engage, Embrace, Endure framework maps how leaders respond to discomfort based on their agency and adaptability.
Robin Washington’s mindset captures this well. Reflecting on her own career, she said: “Can do. Will try.”
That belief helped her raise her hand for stretch roles, switch industries, and lead through major transitions. Her example reminds us that resilience isn’t a personality trait—it’s a practice of moving forward, even when you’re unsure of the outcome.
5. Reflect in Community, Not in Isolation
When leaders feel supported and seen, they recover from setbacks faster, make better decisions under pressure, and maintain clarity amid complexity. Research from McKinsey shows that diverse perspectives and open dialogue improve team effectiveness and build long-term resilience by helping leaders challenge assumptions and expand their thinking.
Robin Washington captured the power of connection from her own experience: “I’ve always surrounded myself with diverse thinkers—people who don’t solve problems the same way I do. It makes the outcome broader, and better.”
That kind of connection deepens learning, strengthens decision-making, and prevents leaders from operating in silos.
Medley’s group coaching is designed to provide this. Through intentional peer matching, leaders join small, facilitated groups that encourage reflection, real-time insight, and accountability. It’s a space to stretch alongside others—because resilience grows stronger in community.
Contact us to Learn More About Medley
Interested in how Medley helps organizations build resilient leaders at scale? Get in touch with us here.
