The Price of Comfort: Why Real Change Requires Discomfort|Amira Barger

Connected Conversations | October 16, 2025

What do we lose when we prioritize comfort over justice?

In Episode 37 of Connected Conversations, host Elena Petrova sits down with Amira K.S. Barger, Executive VP & Head of DEI Advisory at Edelman, to talk about the urgency of discomfort, the dangers of silence, and the real cost of “being nice.”

This episode coincides with the launch of her upcoming book, The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck—And 4 Actions for Real Change, arriving October 2025.

The Myth of Niceness

Amira unpacks how the cultural obsession with being polite and agreeable can actually reinforce harm—especially in institutions that need systemic change.

“Being nice is not the same as being good,” she says. “We cannot heal what we refuse to confront.”

Her four-part framework helps organizations move from surface-level allyship to real, often uncomfortable, action.

Language as a Tool for Power or Resistance

As a strategic communicator and professor, Amira shares how language can be used to obscure, to delay, or to resist. She challenges leaders to be mindful of how we talk about inclusion, and how we sometimes use communication to avoid responsibility.

“The words we choose either create clarity or protect the status quo.”

Leading With Courage (Not Compliance)

From corporate boardrooms to classrooms, Amira emphasizes that DEI is not about checking boxes - it’s about saving lives. She helps leaders ask better questions, move through discomfort, and stop waiting for perfect conditions before making change.

Her advice? Don’t wait for “the right moment.” The moment is now.