How to build a safe space for honesty at work

If your team isn't speaking up, it's not because they have nothing to say. It's because they don't feel safe saying it. Psychological safety isn't just a "nice to have." It's crucial for innovation, ownership, and speed. Here's the thing: When safety is missing, it doesn't make a scene. It's subtle. It shows up quietly, often mistaken for disengagement, laziness, or defiance. Here are seven quiet signals your team might not feel safe and what you can do about each one: 1️⃣ Withdrawal → Staying quiet in meetings or giving minimal input. → Action: Actively invite contributions and ensure that you credit ideas. 2️⃣ Defensiveness or Aggression → Reacting with blame or shutting down feedback. → Action: Stay calm, ask what's going on, and listen without interrupting. 3️⃣ Overcompensating → Overworking to avoid being seen as inadequate. → Action: Acknowledge effort, not just results, and show healthy boundaries yourself. 4️⃣ Paralysis in Decision-Making → Stalling or avoiding responsibility. → Action: Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities and praise thoughtful risk-taking. 5️⃣ Ethical Compromises → Withholding information or hiding errors. → Action: Make it safe to bring up problems early, without punishment. 6️⃣ Avoidance Behavior → Dodging challenging tasks or conversations. → Action: Normalize discomfort and show openness in challenging conversations. 7️⃣ Fear-Based Responses → Seeking constant approval or avoiding risk. → Action: Empower autonomy. Ask "What do you think?" more than "Did you do it right?" Each behavior is a clue that the environment might feel unsafe. ➡️ Here's the more profound truth: If you are a leader, it starts with you. Not as a fixer, but as a role model. Safety isn't a perk; it's a practice. And the culture follows your lead. ❓Which of these seven signals have you seen most in teams you've worked with? Comment with a number 👇 ✅ If this post resonates, share it with your network. 👉 Follow Maria Luisa Engels for weekly ideas on team trust, visual thinking, and human-first leadership. 👉 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 to my newsletter and learn to create your visuals. https://lnkd.in/eZ9jUrKk

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. How you choose to treat your employees does. That's where psychological safety comes in. It's not a checkbox on a to-do list - it's a practice to live by every day. Credit: Dora Vanourek These 10 phrases changed how my teams show up: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝... ↳ Opens possibilities without judgment ↳ Makes innovation feel safe 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 ↳ Creates space for full thoughts ↳ Shows genuine curiosity 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 ↳ Vulnerability creates connection ↳ Humanity builds trust 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 ↳ Validates the risk they took ↳ Encourages more honesty 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 ↳ Removes pressure to be perfect ↳ Models humility 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ↳ Turns hierarchy into partnership ↳ Makes collaboration the default 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 ↳ Shows you're still learning ↳ Values diverse perspectives 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝? ↳ Shifts from telling to empowering ↳ Supports ownership and agency 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐩 ↳ Rewards speaking up ↳ Builds a culture of transparency 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 ↳ Validates without fixing ↳ Creates belonging through shared experience ------- ♻️ Repost to help your network ➕ Follow PRAVIN n. SWAMI for more. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 DNS Technologies Ltd 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 📩 Learn more: www.dnstechnologies.mu | info@dnstechnologies.mu

High standards and empathy aren’t opposites, they’re partners Despite what you may think, an important tool to practice as a manager is empathy. In my experience, leveraging empathy isn’t taking the easy road in hard conversations. It’s about developing trust on a personal level. A few small things I try to do: • In one-on-ones, I’ll ask: Where can I lean in and support you, what seems heavy right now? By leading with empathy and understanding, I am able to open the door for conversations that might not otherwise happen. • I remind myself not everyone wants feedback the same way. Some want it live and direct, others want space to reflect. Asking in what medium works best, demonstrates I care. • Empathy doesn’t excuse the need for hard feedback. It’s imperative to remain direct. But by delivering with context, care, and in a preferred manner, it turns into a coaching opportunity instead of harsh criticism. The result produces an environment where a collective team exists. By leading with empathy, you can develop an environment where each member feels supported, heard, and respected. In my experience, a team that develops trust through leading with empathy is a team destined to come together and execute at a high level when the stakes rise and the pressure is on. And, it’s a whole lot more fun.

If you’re chasing a competitive edge no one can duplicate— Create psychological safety on your team. Because here’s the truth: people stay quiet when they fear being judged, blamed, or brushed off. They withhold brilliance. They play it safe instead of playing to win. Psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the bedrock of innovation, real feedback, and honest accountability. When safety fades, so does imagination. What builds it: ✅ Inviting bold questions, fresh ideas, and healthy disagreement ✅ Respecting honesty instead of punishing it ✅ Choosing curiosity over blame when things go sideways ✅ Praising publicly, correcting privately ✅ Giving everyone a seat at the table, not just the loudest ✅ Following through—always ✅ Treating mistakes as stepping stones, not scarlet letters ✅ Shielding your people from mockery and backlash ✅ Owning up as a leader when you mess up ✅ Celebrating effort as much as outcomes And what destroys it? ❌ Shaming in public or dripping in sarcasm ❌ Leaders who act like they’re never wrong ❌ Calling vulnerability a flaw ❌ Blaming instead of solving ❌ Rewarding “yes” men, not truth-tellers ❌ Demanding perfection, then punishing failure ❌ Eye rolls, interruptions, and steamrolling ❌ Playing favorites or promoting based on politics ❌ Ignoring feedback—or worse, punishing it ❌ Shrugging off concerns with “that’s just how it is” Companies blow millions trying to "fix culture"—but this costs nothing: Start by treating people like people. Make it safe for them to actually show up and do their best work. ♻️ Repost if you believe people thrive in safe, people-first spaces. ➕ Follow Bagombeka Job for more purpose-driven leadership wisdom.

1‑1 Meetings with Your Team: A Leadership Tool or a Waste of Time? Hello, dear colleagues! Let me share some updates with you - I’ve recently taken on a new profession (or obsession?..): Legal Operations Management — in simple terms, figuring out how to make a legal department run like a Swiss watch. One of my favourite tools in this role is the 1‑1 meeting. But there’s always that cloud of doubt: “Do we really need them?” “Isn’t this just a waste of time?” Let’s unpack it. What is it? 🔍 A 1‑1 (one‑on‑one) meeting is a regular personal conversation between a team leader and a team member (let’s throw the word “subordinate” in the trash where it belongs). The goal isn’t a weekly status update — it’s a real, human conversation: to connect, discuss progress and challenges, and look ahead. Why do we need them? 1️⃣ Truly hear your colleague. Understand what’s really going on, what challenges they face, what inspires them — and what frustrates them. Sometimes you can read more between the lines (or in their body language) than in a month of team meetings. 2️⃣ Spot growth opportunities. It’s the best time to discuss development, not just current tasks. Which skills do they want to build? What ambitions do they have? How can you, as a leader, support them? (And yes — it’s worth remembering that different people need different leadership styles.) 3️⃣ Exchange feedback. It’s the perfect safe space for constructive feedback for your team member — but just as important, to get feedback about yourself.* *And for the skeptics who think honest upward feedback is impossible — don’t worry, we’ll talk about how to create a trust‑based environment where constructive criticism is safe. 4️⃣ Build trust. When conversations are regular and genuine, people feel seen, their opinions matter, and their contribution is valued. This is the foundation of a loyal, engaged, and motivated team. 5️⃣ Prevent fires. Small frustrations or misunderstandings today can turn into tomorrow’s conflicts or burnout. In a 1‑1, where both are engaged in an open discussion, you won’t miss the smoke before the fire. How do you know if a 1‑1 was worth it? 🎯 Clear actions. You leave with specific next steps (for you or for them) — the conversation didn’t get stuck in “what was”, but moved into “what’s next”. ⚡️Positive energy. After a good 1‑1, both of you (yes, the leader too!) should feel clarity, motivation, or at least a calm understanding of where you’re headed — not heaviness or wasted time. 🚩 On the other hand… If meetings are endlessly rescheduled, the conversation jumps all over the place, and you leave feeling empty or frustrated — that’s a sign to ask yourself: “What am I doing wrong? Am I creating a safe environment? Or am I treating this like an obligation?” (Maybe it’s even worth discussing it with your manager.) Tomorrow I’ll share my top tips on how to run 1‑1s so they actually work. And you? Do your 1‑1s inspire or drain you? 👂 #LegalOperations #TeamManagement

𝟯 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴… Trust isn’t broken with one big mistake. It’s chipped away — one careless phrase at a time. I once coached a brilliant manager whose team respected his skills but never felt safe around him. Why? Because of a few “harmless” phrases he repeated daily. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟯 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Frustration with delays or mistakes. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Takes tasks back instead of coaching. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Team feels incompetent, ownership disappears. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Say, “Let’s walk through this together so you can own it next time.” 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Desire to end discussions quickly. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Shuts down curiosity and problem-solving. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Innovation dies, people stop questioning. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Replace with, “What alternatives can we explore within our limits?” 𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Ego or impatience. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Dismisses genuine questions. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁:  Creates distance, kills psychological safety. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Try, “Here’s the context behind my decision — what’s your take?” Every phrase is a signal. Either it builds trust… or it erodes it. Trust is the foundation of team performance, collaboration, and loyalty. 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: “𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿… 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁?” 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱) 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗢, 𝗖𝗫𝗢, 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗟&𝗗 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.

𝟯 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴… Trust isn’t broken with one big mistake. It’s chipped away — one careless phrase at a time. I once coached a brilliant manager whose team respected his skills but never felt safe around him. Why? Because of a few “harmless” phrases he repeated daily. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟯 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Frustration with delays or mistakes. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Takes tasks back instead of coaching. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Team feels incompetent, ownership disappears. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Say, “Let’s walk through this together so you can own it next time.” 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Desire to end discussions quickly. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Shuts down curiosity and problem-solving. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Innovation dies, people stop questioning. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Replace with, “What alternatives can we explore within our limits?” 𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: Ego or impatience. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Dismisses genuine questions. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Creates distance, kills psychological safety. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: Try, “Here’s the context behind my decision — what’s your take?” Every phrase is a signal. Either it builds trust… or it erodes it. Trust is the foundation of team performance, collaboration, and loyalty. 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: “𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿… 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁?” 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱) 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗢, 𝗖𝗫𝗢, 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗟&𝗗 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.

How to Build Psychological Safety in Your Team Early in my career, I noticed something powerful: some teams had energy, openness, and creativity, while others seemed cautious, guarded, and unwilling to speak up. The difference wasn’t talent. It wasn’t resources. It was something less visible, but absolutely critical: psychological safety. Harvard professor Amy Edmondson defines it as: “A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.” And without it, innovation dies. Mistakes get hidden. Potential is wasted. ⸻ What psychological safety looks like in practice In a safe team, people: • Share ideas without fear of being shut down • Admit mistakes openly — and learn from them • Ask questions freely, even “basic” ones • Challenge leaders respectfully when they see a better way ⸻ Why it matters for leaders You don’t get psychological safety by accident. It happens when leaders model the behavior they want to see. If leaders are defensive, dismissive, or quick to judge, people retreat into silence. But when leaders show humility, curiosity, and empathy — people lean in. ⸻ 3 ways to build psychological safety in your team 1️⃣ Welcome questions and ideas Instead of reacting with judgment, say: “Tell me more about that.” 2️⃣ Own your mistakes as a leader When you admit your own missteps, it gives others permission to do the same. 3️⃣ Respond with curiosity, not criticism Even if you don’t agree, thank people for raising their thoughts and explore their perspective. ⸻ The ripple effect When psychological safety is present: • Engagement goes up • Innovation accelerates • Teams solve problems faster • Trust becomes the default Without it, people withhold their best ideas — and your team operates at half its potential. ⸻ Your challenge this week In your next meeting, try this: 💬 Ask: “What’s one idea we haven’t considered yet?” Then, listen without judgment. Watch how the conversation changes. ⸻ 👉 Over to you: What’s one thing you do to make your team feel safe to speak up? Share your insights — your idea might help another leader today. #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #TeamCulture #Trust #PeopleFirst

If you want an edge others can’t copy, build psychological safety in your team. Because people hold back their best ideas when they fear judgment, blame, or dismissal. Psychological safety isn’t a bonus. It’s the foundation of creativity, feedback, and accountability. When safety disappears, so does innovation. What builds it: ✅ Encouraging questions, ideas, and healthy disagreement ✅ Responding to honesty with respect not punishment ✅ Genuine curiosity over blame when mistakes happen ✅ Giving credit publicly, offering feedback privately ✅ Making space for every voice not just the loudest ✅ Consistent follow-through on what’s promised ✅ Treating mistakes as learning, not weakness ✅ Protecting people from ridicule or retaliation ✅ Leaders who admit when they’re wrong ✅ Celebrating effort, not just results And what breaks it? ❌ Public shaming or sarcasm ❌ Leaders who never admit fault ❌ Treating vulnerability as weakness ❌ Blaming instead of problem-solving ❌ Only rewarding agreement, not truth ❌ Expecting perfection, but punishing failure ❌ Eye rolls, interruptions, or talking over others ❌ Playing favourites or promoting based on politics ❌ Ignoring feedback or punishing people for giving it ❌ Dismissing concerns with “that’s just how we do things” Companies spend millions trying to fix culture. But the answer is simple and it doesn’t cost a thing: Treat people like people And make it safe for them to do their best work.

Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone just nods along, only to hear the best ideas and biggest concerns come out afterwards in the hallway? 🤫 I believe you'll be frustrating. But here’s the secret: it’s usually not because people don’t care. It’s because they don’t feel psychologically safe. As defined by Harvard’s 𝗔𝗺𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻, psychological safety is a shared belief that everyone can speak up without embarrassment or punishment. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁: 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸-𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗲 studied hundreds of teams and found this was the #1 factor that set top-performing teams apart. Not only skills and seniority but safety. Then how we can learn to be better leader in our roles? Here's what I found - 𝟭. 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁. Instead of “𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆,” let's try: “𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁.” 𝟮. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Let's say “𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴” or “𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲.” It humanizes you and builds immense trust between you and your team. 𝟯. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Instead of the classic (and often silent) “𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?”, let's ask: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱?” “𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁.” “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴?” 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 When someone raises a concern or a wild idea, let's try to reward the candor, not judge the content. When I heard “𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.” then I feel that I am giving a valuable point to my team and I am a part of great team. Well, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where the best answers can emerge from anyone on the team. #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #Teamwork