Bangladesh, June 29 -- Leadership is often tested not during moments of triumph but in moments of discomfort. Sometimes that discomfort comes in the form of war, economic crisis, or political scandal. At other times, it is something as mundane as a sweltering summer afternoon. Yet even then, the choices leaders make can reveal uncomfortable truths about the institutions they oversee.

The latest controversy surrounding the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels may seem trivial at first glance. Amid a record-breaking heatwave, air conditioning was reportedly switched off on the lower floors of the Berlaymont building, where the majority of the Commission's roughly 3,000 employees work, while remaining operational in the upper flo...