Leaders often find themselves caught between competing priorities: delivering results and creating a workplace culture they’re proud of. The pressure to perform can make it tempting to focus on short-term gains, but there’s a growing body of evidence that investing in psychological safety is the secret to scalable, sustainable success.
Psychological safety (a shared belief that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks) is the foundation of high-functioning teams. It requires leaders to look inward, addressing their own relationship with safety and vulnerability before they can authentically promote it within their teams.
We see psychological safety not as a simple yes/no state, but as a continuum—something we can continuously cultivate. Perhaps the key is to always be building our awareness: What is my own level of psychological safety? What is the “team PS”? Where do individuals stand? And, most importantly, how can I actively contribute to making the environment safer for everyone?
The Case for Psychological Safety
Research, including Google’s Project Aristotle, has repeatedly shown that psychological safety is the number-one driver of team performance. It allows employees to speak up with ideas, admit mistakes, and challenge the status quo without fear of humiliation or retaliation. In such an environment, creativity thrives, engagement soars, and results follow.
But here’s the challenge: Psychological safety can’t be mandated. It must be cultivated. It’s a process of growth that starts from within.
Can You Build What You Don’t Know?
This question hit me hard while preparing for a client offsite retreat. The client was a pseudo-family-run business undergoing seismic shifts—a new CEO, a public listing, and a complete cultural overhaul. Everything was in flux. The urgency to drive results created palpable tension, and the absence of psychological safety was clear.
The retreat forced me to confront a tough reality: How can leaders foster psychological safety if they haven’t experienced it themselves? For some, safety was a constant in their upbringing—secure attachments, stable homes, and the privilege of taking risks without fear of collapse. For others, it’s been a lifelong struggle, and this absence can make building it feel foreign or even impossible.
Yet, the lack of firsthand experience doesn’t absolve leaders of the responsibility to create it. If anything, it deepens the need for intentional self-awareness and growth.
Leadership From the Inside Out
Psychological safety starts with leaders doing the inner work to understand their relationship with trust, vulnerability, and control. Without this foundation, efforts to build safety will ring hollow. Here are some guiding principles:
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Recognize the privilege of safety: Not everyone has had the privilege of a “safety net”—emotional, financial, or otherwise. For those who have, acknowledging it is the first step toward empathy. For those who haven’t, the journey may require unlearning fear-driven patterns and cultivating a sense of security within.
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Challenge the fear of vulnerability: Leaders often resist psychological safety because they associate vulnerability with weakness. But vulnerability is a strength—it’s the courage to admit mistakes, seek feedback, and show humanity. It’s what transforms teams from transactional groups into collaborative forces.
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Foster inclusion: Psychological safety hinges on inclusivity. Teams need to feel that their voices matter, their perspectives are valued, and their contributions are seen. This starts with leaders modeling openness and celebrating diverse viewpoints.
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Reframe the narrative: If the term “psychological safety” feels too abstract or “soft,” reframe it in action-oriented terms like “high-trust dynamics” or “inclusive performance culture.” This shift can help leaders connect safety to outcomes they prioritize, like innovation and operational efficiency.
Moving Beyond Resistance
There is an egoic fear and resistance to being vulnerable (whether that is yourself, seeing the humanity of another, or having the humility to ask again, be curious, or go deeper). Leaders tied to traditional notions of control may fear that embracing safety undermines their authority. But, in reality, it amplifies it. Teams are more likely to follow leaders who inspire trust, authenticity, and respect than those who lead with fear or rigidity.
The cost of resistance is high. Without psychological safety, teams stagnate. Ideas go unspoken. Turnover rises. The best talent seeks environments where they can thrive—and psychological safety is now a nonnegotiable for many.
The Inside-Out Path Forward
To build psychological safety, leaders must first invest in their own development. This includes the following:
- Self-reflection: Examine how your own experiences shape your leadership style.
- Seeking feedback: Create a feedback loop with your team to uncover blind spots.
- Embracing growth: Engage in coaching, therapy, or mindfulness practices to reframe old patterns.
- Modeling behavior: Lead by example—share vulnerabilities, admit mistakes, and actively listen.
This work isn’t easy, but it’s transformative. Leaders who embrace it not only foster thriving teams but also experience personal growth that enhances their effectiveness and impact.
A Call to Action
Psychological safety isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a competitive advantage and a leadership imperative. As the demands on leaders evolve, so, too, must their approach to creating environments where trust, collaboration, and resilience flourish.
Start with yourself. Build the safety you may have never felt. And, in doing so, empower your team to do the extraordinary.