Dancing on the Edge

I recently moved into a director's position and started managing my first team at SolarWinds. It's an exciting transition I've been contemplating for a while. As part of this, I've been thrust into a technical domain of our product that I'm only partially comfortable with. As I navigate this transition, I reflect on a powerful learning framework developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky in the 1920s and later refined by educators like Tom Senninger and Karl Rohnke—the three concentric circles of comfort, growth, and panic zones.

The innermost circle is our comfort zone—we operate confidently and quickly, drawing on well-established skills and knowledge. While reassuring, staying exclusively within this circle leads to stagnation. Surrounding it is the growth zone, where we're challenged but capable. This is where learning happens, where we stretch our abilities without breaking them. It's uncomfortable at times but productive and energizing. The outermost circle is the panic zone—where challenges exceed our capacity to adapt. Our cognitive resources become overwhelmed, learning stops, and survival instincts take over in this space. Rather than growth, this zone leads to burnout and frustration.

Professional development isn't about avoiding discomfort entirely—it's about dancing at the edge of our capabilities, recognizing when we've stepped too far into panic, and developing strategies to pull ourselves back into that sweet spot of productive challenge.

Recognizing Zone Transitions

The boundaries between comfort, growth, and panic aren't fixed; they shift based on context, energy level, and external pressure. Recognizing when I'm transitioning between zones has become crucial for effective self-management.

When I step from comfort to growth, I notice a few things. There's mild tension and heightened situational awareness. I get asked questions that I can't immediately answer. I have to consciously plan rather than operate on autopilot. There's a productive excitement mixed with uncertainty. I start to have "I think I can figure this out" thoughts. I don't run from these. They're indicators that this is a learning moment. They're invitations to engage instead of withdraw.

More critical is recognizing when growth is veering into panic. My warning signs include physical symptoms, cognitive patterns, emotional responses, and behavioral changes. I start to have poor sleep, fatigue, and increased appetite (stress eating). I have circular thinking, brain fog, fight-or-flight lizard brain thoughts, and all-or-nothing thinking. I get disproportionately frustrated over minor setbacks, anxious about upcoming meetings, and occasionally overreact. I procrastinate or constantly start over on challenging tasks and fail to use adaptive skills or effective coping mechanisms, e.g., I'll stop taking notes or following up on tasks consistently.

The subtlety is that these signals often creep in gradually. What begins as a productive challenge can imperceptibly shift toward overwhelming if I'm not careful.

My zone boundaries aren't static. When well-rested, my growth zone expands. Multiple simultaneous challenges narrow my capacity. Strong team relationships widen my growth zone. Understanding the "why" helps me tolerate more discomfort.

Learning to read these signals has become as important as any technical skill in my new role. They serve as my navigational system, helping me calibrate the right level of challenge to maintain growth without too much counterproductive stress.

Strategies for Staying in the Growth Zone

Maintaining that productive middle ground between comfort and panic requires intentional practices. Here's what I'm finding most effective.

Open communication has been crucial. I've learned to have regular candid conversations with my manager about my learning curve. I maintain clarity over which areas I'm still developing expertise in without undermining confidence in my leadership. I establish realistic timelines that account for learning alongside delivery. I create feedback loops that help me gauge how I'm being perceived. This transparency removes the additional stress of pretending to know everything and creates space for authentic growth.

Rather than taking on everything simultaneously, I'm collaborating with my manager to identify logical phases for expanding my responsibilities. I prioritize which technical domains to tackle first. We set specific milestones that signal readiness for additional scope. We revisit and adjust our roadmap as my confidence grows in certain areas. This graduated approach prevents the overwhelm of simultaneous learning across too many fronts.

I've implemented practices that expose me to unfamiliar domains without immediate pressure to be the expert. I engage in code review in areas where I'm still learning–even if it's just asking for an explanation of a pull request. I ask clarifying questions about technical decisions I don't fully understand. I make sure to follow up with individual research after meetings.

These touchpoints create frequent, low-stakes opportunities to expand my knowledge incrementally.

Rather than avoiding topics where I have limited expertise, I actively participate in technical discussions even when I can't lead them. I'm honest about what I don't know while offering the perspective and common sense I can bring. Maintaining a presence in these conversations accelerates my learning curve while demonstrating my commitment to doing my job well.

Beyond day-to-day work, I'm blocking dedicated time for studying material relevant to my job. I work to identify mentors who can provide context and guidance. I'm developing a systematic approach to capturing and organizing what I learn (I write). I reflect weekly on which activities pushed me productively versus which felt overwhelming. This intentional structure ensures my growth isn't left to chance encounters but becomes a priority alongside my operational responsibilities.

The key insight I'm discovering is that staying in the growth zone isn't about avoiding discomfort—it's about cultivating the right kind of discomfort and creating sustainable ways to engage with it.

Finding Your Growth Edge

As I continue navigating my new role, I've come to appreciate that the dance between comfort, growth, and panic isn't a one-and-done kind of thing. It's a continuous calibration—a daily practice of awareness and adjustment.

The goal isn't to eliminate discomfort but to develop a healthier relationship with it. Recognizing when it's serving or hindering our development is essential. Whether you're stepping into a leadership role, changing technical domains, or simply pushing yourself to develop new skills, I encourage you to reflect on your zones:

Where are your boundaries between comfort, growth, and panic?

Notice when you feel the shift from productive challenge to overwhelming stress. Identify your signals and create strategies that help you stay in that sweet spot where meaningful development happens.