Where expectations are high and there’s constant demand for results, it’s tempting to think success comes down to having the smartest people or the most ambitious strategy. But research tells us something different: the best-performing teams aren’t necessarily the most skilled or experienced. They’re the ones where people feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas, make mistakes, and be themselves.
That’s the essence of psychological safety – and it plays a pivotal role in how teams collaborate, innovate, and perform.
The term was coined by Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, who introduced the concept after observing differences between how hospital teams handled mistakes. Some discussed them openly and improved as a result, while others were more guarded, which led to repeated issues and missed opportunities to learn. She described psychological safety as a team climate where individuals feel safe to take interpersonal risks — such as speaking up, admitting mistakes, or offering a different view without fear of embarrassment or punishment.
This insight laid the groundwork for broader organisational research — including Project Aristotle by Google, which analysed over 180 teams and found that psychological safety was the single most important factor for team success — more critical than workload, skill level, or intelligence.
In my work as an executive and performance coach, I often speak with leaders who are unsure how much vulnerability is ‘too much,’ and with team members who don’t feel brave enough to say what they really think. The result is often silence, surface-level agreement, or missed opportunities to learn and improve.
Creating psychological safety is about intentionally building trust, encouraging openness, and enabling honest conversations — even when the topics are difficult. And it starts with leadership.
The Impact of Psychological Safety: What It Looks Like and Why It Matters
When psychological safety is present, teams:
- Voice ideas and concerns openly
- Discuss mistakes as learning opportunities
- Navigate disagreements constructively
- Feel safe being authentic and vulnerable
These conditions create space for innovation, early problem-solving, and resilient team support — especially during periods of pressure or uncertainty. Trust grows, performance improves, and collaboration becomes deeper and more effective.
When psychological safety is lacking, there are often clear signals:
- Meetings are dominated by a few voices, while others stay silent
- People are reluctant to admit mistakes or ask questions
- Feedback rarely flows upwards or sideways
- Groupthink is common; challenge is avoided
- Junior team members hesitate to contribute
- There’s a culture of perfectionism, or fear of being wrong
When leaders intentionally foster a culture where people feel safe to speak, question, and contribute, they don’t just improve results — they unlock energy, learning, and long-term team strength.
How to Build It
Building psychological safety takes intention. Here are some ways leaders can start.
✅ Demonstrate thoughtful honesty – Share relevant lessons from past decisions or acknowledge when something didn’t go as planned. This signals to others that openness is valued without requiring over-disclosure.
✅ Encourage questions and challenge – Actively ask for different viewpoints. When someone challenges an idea, thank them. Even if you disagree.
✅ Respond to mistakes with curiosity, not blame – If someone is clearly at fault, address the issue promptly in a one-to-one conversation. Keep the tone constructive and focus on understanding what happened and how to avoid it in future. This reinforces accountability while maintaining trust and supporting learning — a core element of psychological safety.
✅ Set clear expectations for respectful debate – Safety doesn’t mean avoiding disagreement. It means handling it well.
✅ Be mindful of who speaks – Notice who isn’t talking. Make space for quieter voices. If time is tight, ask for brief written input ahead of meetings or invite quieter team members to share their thoughts afterward. Simple gestures like ‘I’d really value your view on this’ can go a long way in making space for everyone’s voice.
✅ Ask for feedback on your leadership – A question as simple as “What’s one thing I could do differently to support the team?” opens the door.
✅ Reinforce learning, not just outcomes – Recognise thoughtful effort, experimentation, and willingness to try something new — even if the result wasn’t a success. This helps normalise learning from experience rather than focusing only on outcomes.
Example: After a visible team setback — like a lost pitch — psychologically safe teams come together to reflect on what didn’t land and what they’d do differently next time. The result? A stronger approach and greater cohesion going forward.
Final Thoughts
Psychological safety creates the kind of culture where trust, accountability, and high performance can truly take root and grow.
Leaders play a critical role in shaping that environment. It’s not about lowering expectations — it’s about raising the level of openness, accountability, and mutual respect that helps people meet those expectations consistently.
This doesn’t require dramatic change. Often, it starts with subtle but intentional shifts: inviting challenge, listening fully, responding with curiosity, and showing that feedback is welcomed — even when it’s hard to hear.
If you’re reflecting on how your team operates, consider this: What might be going unsaid right now? And what would it take to create the conditions for it to be voiced safely?
If psychological safety is a foundation of performance, what role are you playing in creating or limiting it on your team?
By fostering psychological safety, we enable smarter decisions, stronger performance, and deeper collaboration.
Eilish Saba Coaching 