> If we can't, as a group, tolerate awkwardness, we are very much down the rabbit hole of mandatory social conformity.

There's a difference between tolerating it to a degree and letting leaders continue uncomfortable awkwardness. If it's enough to distance people, maybe they're not a great candidate for a leader. That doesn't remove anything from their achievements and abilities to contribute or to spread new ideas. The post says "If an occasional social gaffe or failed attempt at humor is all it takes to get thrown out on the street" - entirely omitting the space occupied by almost all of us: between homelessness and being a leader of a global movement/organisation.

We can at the same time tolerate awkwardness and hold our local and global leaders to high standards.