Dear Reader
Psychological safety is one of the most talked about leadership concepts.
And one of the most misunderstood.
I spent significant time working on this across an organisation.
It was not broken. But it was inconsistent.
So we focused on what was not being said.
The avoided conversations.
The issues sitting just below the surface.
The “stinky fish” no one wanted to raise 🐟
And when people did speak up, we acted.
That is where it starts.
What psychological safety is not
It is not:
- Being nice
- Avoiding tension
- Agreement at all costs
- “Anything goes”
- Protecting people from challenge
- Lowering standards
- Making meetings comfortable
- Avoiding difficult conversations
You can have all of the above and still have low psychological safety.
Because people are still holding back.
What it actually is
Psychological safety is simple.
It is whether people speak up when it matters.
- Calling out something that feels off
- Challenging an idea, including your leader’s
- Admitting a mistake early
- Saying “I don’t know”
- Raising a risk before it becomes an issue
And it only works if it sits alongside:
High standards. High accountability.
The best teams are not comfortable.
They are candid, respectful, and performance-oriented.
Where leaders get tested
Most leaders believe they are open to challenge.
The real test is what happens next.
- When someone disagrees with you
- When a mistake is raised
- When a risk is surfaced early
Do you lean in or shut it down?
Do you explore or defend?
Do people feel heard, or do they learn to stay quiet next time?
Psychological safety is built or broken in those moments.
A simple test
Ask yourself:
- Do people challenge you in the room, or after the meeting?
- Are issues raised early, or when it is too late?
- Do people say “I don’t know”, or default to confidence?
Final thought
Psychological safety is not about making things easier.
It is about making it possible to say the things that matter.
But it is not easy and it takes time to get there and stay there.
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
