Tension.

Tension has the potential to show us the need to do something. It can get us unstuck from inaction. It provides a sense of urgency to change the status quo.

In the workplace, tension creates an urge to attack a problem. For instance, it creates an urgency to talk to an aggrieved customer or creates an urgency to produce challenging employees tired of the monotony of work and want to quit the job.

Tension is an act of inducing pressure in the system. Tension makes something move inside. It stresses the system such that we err on the side of acting.

Have you ever been in a quiet wild only to find a fierce animal coming before us? It creates tension. Monetarily we freeze with fear. And, very next minute, we try to shed the fear and look for our way out. We either make gestures, mount an attack, or even try running away. All these are actions to change our circumstances.

The opposite of tension is worry. Worry stops the action. It puts us in a bind.

Tension creates an urgency to address the difficulties/hurdles we are facing. Action is the only response when there is tension. And that is a good thing. 

We just need to find someone who knows how to create constructive tension. It's a definite trigger for change and a galvanizer.