Hello again, and welcome back to Essential Types of Leadership Thinking. I’m Margaret Ellis, and today we’re going to clear up some of the confusion around psychological safety—a term that’s become, well, almost a buzzword in leadership circles. Now, if you caught our last episode on the four thinking styles, you’ll remember we talked about how leaders need to flex between different ways of thinking depending on the challenge. Psychological safety is one of those areas where, honestly, a lot of leaders get tripped up by the wrong assumptions, and it can really hold teams back.Let’s start with some of the most common misconceptions. There are six, actually, that come up again and again. The first—and I hear this all the time—is that psychological safety means being nice. You know, “We never argue, so we must be safe.” But that’s not it at all. In fact, if everyone’s just being nice and avoiding hard truths, you’re not getting candor, you’re getting silence. And silence is the enemy of learning. I once worked with a team who prided themselves on never having conflict. They thought it was a sign of harmony, but really, it was a sign that no one felt comfortable challenging the status quo. Progress just stalled. No one wanted to rock the boat, so nothing ever changed.Another big one is the idea that psychological safety means you always get your way. I’ve seen people say, “You didn’t support my idea, so I don’t feel safe.” But that’s not what it’s about. It’s about being heard, not always being agreed with. There’s also this myth that psychological safety guarantees job security. I mean, after those big layoffs at Google, some employees said it was a breach of psychological safety. But actually, the fact that someone could stand up and voice their criticism to leadership—that’s a sign that psychological safety was present, not absent.Then there’s the belief that psychological safety and performance are at odds, as if you have to choose between being open and holding people accountable. That’s just not true. The research is clear: high standards and psychological safety go hand in hand. If you only have one, you’re missing the point. And, oh, the idea that you can just write a policy and—poof!—psychological safety appears. If only it were that easy. You can’t legislate trust or candor. It’s built, conversation by conversation, not by decree.Finally, some think it’s all up to the top leaders. Yes, leaders have a huge influence, but psychological safety is local. It’s built in the day-to-day, by everyone on the team. I’ve seen organizations with a great culture overall, but some teams are still stuck in fear because of local dynamics. So, if you’re listening and thinking, “Oh, we’re safe because we’re nice,” or “We’ve got a policy for that,” it might be time to look a bit deeper. Where was I going with this? Oh right—let’s talk about what actually creates psychological safety.So, what does it really take to build psychological safety? It’s not about comfort, and it’s definitely not about avoiding tough conversations. It’s about creating a shared sense of permission for candor. That means people feel it’s okay to ask questions, admit mistakes, and disagree—even if it’s uncomfortable. And, crucially, it’s not something you can just announce or enforce with a policy. It’s cultivated through shared goals, structured reflection, and, above all, the quality of your team’s conversations.Let’s break that down a bit. First, shared goals. When everyone’s clear on what you’re trying to achieve and why it matters, it’s easier to take risks and speak up. I remember a story from the article we’re drawing on today—one leader would start every meeting by reminding the team of their mission. At first, it seemed a bit repetitive, but over time, it made it easier for people to try new things and share setbacks, because the focus was always on the bigger picture.Then there’s structured reflection. This is about having regular rituals—maybe it’s a weekly review, or a “failure wall” where people share what didn’t work. The point is to normalize learning from mistakes and to keep improving, rather than hiding problems until they become crises. I’ve seen teams transform just by making space for honest appraisals of what’s working and what isn’t.But perhaps the most important ingredient is the quality of your conversations. High-quality conversations are both an outcome and a driver of psychological safety. It’s about balancing advocacy—sharing your own ideas—with inquiry—genuinely asking about others’ perspectives. If you’re only advocating, you’re not learning. If you’re only inquiring, you’re not contributing. It’s a dance, really. And it takes practice.Now, here’s a question I get a lot: How can leaders model the right behaviors without letting performance standards slip? It’s a fair concern. The answer is, you don’t lower the bar. You keep the standards high, but you make it safe to talk about what’s getting in the way. Leaders can do this by being open about their own uncertainties, asking good questions, and giving feedback that’s honest but respectful. It’s not about being soft; it’s about being real. And, as we discussed in the last episode, it’s about choosing the right thinking style for the moment—sometimes you need to be the expert, sometimes the systems thinker, but always with an openness to learning.So, if you’re looking to build psychological safety, focus less on the word itself and more on the work—shared goals, honest reflection, and high-quality conversation. That’s where the magic happens. Now, let’s look at what leaders can actually do to foster this kind of environment.Right, so what can leaders do, practically, to foster psychological safety? It’s not about grand gestures. It’s about small, consistent actions. One of the most powerful things a leader can do is to emphasize the challenges the team is facing. When you talk openly about what’s hard, you invite people to contribute their ideas and concerns. It signals that input is needed, not just tolerated.Modeling candor is another big one. Leaders who ask good questions, listen intently, and admit when they don’t have all the answers set the tone for the whole team. I’ve seen this firsthand—a leader who’s willing to say, “I might be wrong about this, what do you all think?” creates space for others to speak up. And it’s not just about the leader. Anyone on the team can reinforce this by showing interest in others’ ideas and responding productively, not punitively.Honest feedback is essential, too. Not just the “good job” kind, but the kind that helps people see their impact and improve. I remember working with a tech company that was struggling with politeness—everyone was so careful not to offend that real issues never surfaced. They decided to try something different: they set up meetings specifically for robust debate, where the rule was “no holding back.” It was awkward at first, but over time, it became the norm to challenge each other constructively. They also started tracking their progress through regular reflection sessions, which helped them see how far they’d come.One of my favorite moments as a coach was with a team where a very quiet member finally spoke up during one of these sessions. The leader had made it clear that all voices mattered, and when this person shared a concern that no one else had noticed, it sparked a breakthrough idea. The team’s energy shifted—you could feel it. That’s the power of psychological safety in action.So, to sum up, fostering psychological safety isn’t about being nice or lowering standards. It’s about creating an environment where people can be honest, take risks, and learn together. It takes intention, effort, and a willingness to be a bit uncomfortable at times. But the payoff—in performance, innovation, and team cohesion—is absolutely worth it. Thanks for joining me today. We’ll keep building on these ideas in future episodes, so stay tuned and keep leading with curiosity and courage.

Episodes

Clearing Up Psychological Safety