ABSTRACT
When we feel like we’re struggling, difficulty can be perceived as a reason to disengage. “Hard” can start to feel wrong, and “easy” starts to feel right – it can even start to be seen as a value.
While the desire to move away from hard and toward easy is normal and human, increasing easy to a values level can become disruptive to organizational flourishing. This chapter explores the difference between healthy challenge and negative strain as well as the difference between commitment and willpower. Being able to engage in values-centered behavior when it’s hard and difficult is the essence of courage, but a greater sense of competence and confidence can be developed. Using the chapter vignette as a case example, the 5-step process outlined in Chapter 1 focuses on a process of values-centered decision-making that includes psychological preparation for values-led engagement.
