A World of Difference The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck and Growing up in Guam with Amira Barger
Ever wondered if being “nice” at work could actually be making everything worse? Picture this: a leader so shielded by everyone’s politeness that a single, cringeworthy comment in the halls of Congress nearly tanks a $9 million deal—while everyone else sits silent, protecting comfort over honesty. Turns out, our obsession with not rocking the boat isn’t just awkward... it can be downright destructive. But here’s the twist: the real danger isn’t ego or greed. It’s this sneaky, everyday culture of niceness that’s quietly costing us big—more than we realize. So what’s the true price we pay for keeping the peace, and how can we start to flip the script?
In this episode, you will be able to:
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Discover how the impact of niceness in workplace culture can quietly shape team dynamics and influence overall success.
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Unlock the keys to building psychological safety that encourages genuine conversations and boosts team confidence.
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Understand the hidden consequences of avoiding conflict at work and how it can stall growth and damage trust.
My special guest is Amira Barger
Amira K.S. Barger, MBA, CVA, CFRE is an award-winning communications and change management executive, author, and professor. She counsels Fortune 500 companies at the intersection of health equity, diversity, and trust. A scholar-practitioner with over 20 years of experience, Amira is also a marketing and change management Professor at California State University East Bay, shaping the next generation of leaders.
Her forthcoming book, The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck—And 4 Actions for Real Change (Berrett-Koehler, Oct 2025), critiques the cultural costs of “niceness” in the workplace and offers a roadmap toward equity-driven leadership. Amira’s thought leadership appears regularly in outlets such as MSNBC, Fast Company, and Nonprofit Quarterly.
Raised on the island of Guam, Amira brings a global perspective, a deep commitment to public health, and a belief in building humanity-centered workplaces.
The key moments in this episode are:
00:01:00 - Navigating Niceness and Conflict Avoidance in the Workplace
00:04:00 - Bringing a Global Mindset to American Workplace Culture
00:08:00 - Understanding and Challenging Sacred Cows in Organizations
00:12:00 - The Cost of Comfort Over Candor in Leadership
00:13:32 - The Troubling Relationship Between Silicon Valley and Washington D.C.
00:15:12 - The Ladies Who Lunch: Power, Influence, and Performative Philanthropy
00:20:21 - Niceness, Leadership, and the Risks of Capitulation in Modern Organizations
00:22:58 - Challenging Stories and Leadership Narratives to Foster Change
00:25:25 - Vacation Hair and the Cost of Being Nice: A Personal Leadership Lesson
00:26:38 - Childhood Lessons on Speaking Truth and Its Consequences
00:28:17 - The Matching Principle and Effective Communication Types
00:31:37 - Navigating Voice and Nerve in Challenging Workplace Contexts
00:33:52 - Building Psychological Safety as a System in Organizations
00:37:53 - The High Price of Silence and Retaliation in the Workplace
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Find and follow Amira Barger on all social media platforms using the handle @amirabarger and visit amirabarger.com for information about her speaking engagements, book tour, and communications/propaganda analysis class on TikTok.
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Pre-order Amira Barger's book, The Price of Nice, to learn more about her insights and strategies for challenging workplace culture
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Connect on Substack at loriadamsbrown.substack.com to access behind-the-scenes content, exclusive in-depth articles, and become a paid subscriber for additional benefits.
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