The Preferred Discomfort Navigator Assessment

Ready to find out how well you navigate discomfort and how it's shaping your leadership potential?

This quick quiz will reveal where you currently sit on the Preferred Discomfort Navigator Scale and show you how your mindset, habits and leadership behaviours impact your ability to grow, adapt and lead with confidence.

Let’s see how ready you really are to lead at the next level.

When faced with a completely new challenge at work, my typical response is: *

I feel energised and immediately look for ways to tackle it

I feel a mix of excitement and anxiety but am willing to try

I prefer to research extensively before attempting anything

I feel uncomfortable and try to delegate or avoid it if possible

How do you view failure in your professional life? *

As valuable feedback and a necessary part of growth

As useful when it provides clear lessons for improvement

As something to analyse and minimise in the future

As something to avoid at all costs

When receiving critical feedback about your work, you typically: *

Welcome it and actively seek more details to improve

Appreciate it after initial discomfort and reflect on changes needed

Accept it but focus mainly on positive feedback received

Find it difficult to process and may become defensive

How often do you voluntarily take on tasks outside your core expertise? *

Regularly - it's how I grow my capabilities

Occasionally - when I see clear benefit

Rarely - I prefer to excel in my established areas

Almost never - I stick to what I know I can do well

When your team suggests an approach that differs significantly from your usual methods, you: *

Encourage experimenting with the new approach

Consider the merits while expressing your perspective

Suggest testing on a small scale while maintaining current methods

Explain why your established approach is more reliable

Which statement best describes your current role challenges: *

I regularly feel I'm operating at the edge of my capabilities

I sometimes feel stretched but generally confident

I feel comfortable with occasional new challenges

I have mastered most aspects of my role

When was the last time you learned a completely new professional skill? *

Within the last month

Within the last 3-6 months

Within the last year

More than a year ago

Which areas currently push you outside of your comfort zone? (Select all that apply) *

Public speaking or presentations

Strategic decision-making

Difficult conversations with team members

Cross-functional collaboration

Leading through uncertainty

Technical or digital skills

Networking or relationship building

Creative problem-solving

None of these particularly challenge me

When you feel uncomfortable in a professional situation, you typically: *

Lean into the discomfort, seeing it as a growth opportunity

Acknowledge the discomfort while focusing on potential benefits

Push through it but look for ways to make it more comfortable

Try to avoid similar situations in the future

How do you approach tasks where you lack confidence in your abilities? *

I actively seek them out as growth opportunities

I accept them with support systems in place

I tackle them after thorough preparation

I try to focus on tasks better aligned with my strengths

When leading your team through change, you prioritise: *

Encouraging experimentation and risk-taking

Creating psychological safety while pushing boundaries

Ensuring clear guidelines before attempting new approaches

Maintaining stability and minimising disruption

When did you last encourage a team member to step outside their comfort zone? *

This week

This month

Within the last few months

Not recently or I typically don't do this

After experiencing a setback, how quickly do you typically recover and re-engage? *

Very quickly - I see setbacks as part of the journey

Fairly quickly after processing what happened

It takes time, but I eventually move forward

Setbacks significantly impact my confidence for extended periods

How do you prepare yourself for potentially uncomfortable growth situations? *

I embrace them with minimal preparation, preferring to learn as I go

I identify specific support and resources I might need

I extensively research and prepare before engaging

I try to minimise potential discomfort through careful planning

What statement best reflects your attitude toward professional growth? *

Growth rarely happens within comfort zones

Balanced challenges lead to sustainable growth

Gradual, comfortable progression is most effective

Expertise comes from focusing on established strengths

How do you respond when team members take risks that don't succeed? *

Celebrate the attempt and facilitate learning from it

Acknowledge the effort while discussing what could improve

Focus on how to prevent similar issues in the future

Emphasise the importance of more careful planning

How comfortable are you with letting team members see you struggle with new challenges? *

Very comfortable - it models growth mindset

Somewhat comfortable in the right context

Prefer to show struggle only after finding solutions

Not comfortable - leaders should demonstrate competence

When a team member appears to be avoiding growth opportunities, you typically: *

Have a direct conversation about growth and discomfort

Gradually introduce smaller challenges to build confidence

Wait for them to express interest in development

Focus on leveraging their current strengths

Which approach do you take to professional development on your team? *

Regular stretch assignments and challenges for everyone

Individualised growth opportunities based on readiness

Structured development primarily within current roles

Development focused on mastering current responsibilities

How often do you discuss the concept of growth mindset with your team? *

Regularly - it's a core part of our culture

Occasionally when relevant opportunities arise

Rarely - we focus more on performance than growth process

Never - we haven't specifically addressed this concept

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