The Leader Mindset #21

Hi everyone,

Thank you for coming back to my weekly newsletter discussing leadership, business and talent management.

If you enjoy the content, please share it with others in your network or organization. I am passionate about making leadership a differentiator for everyone.

Is Psychological Safety Just the Newest Buzzword? Let’s Talk About It!

A few weeks ago, I came across a LinkedIn poll asking people which workplace topics are the most over-discussed. I don’t remember every option (Emotional Intelligence was one), but one response stopped me in my tracks: psychological safety. Not only was it listed—it ranked #1.

I was genuinely surprised. Psychological safety? Overrated?

I get it. During the pandemic, there was a major push to make workplaces more supportive, empathetic, and inclusive. Psychological safety became part of that conversation—sometimes front and center.

But now I’m wondering: is psychological safety starting to get a bad rap? Have we misunderstood what it really means?

Let’s talk about it.

What Psychological Safety Is (and What It’s Not)

Psychological safety isn’t about a leader being soft or making the work environment perfect for people. It’s not about protecting people from hard truths or lowering performance expectations. And it definitely doesn’t mean everyone always agrees or that feedback goes out the window.

At its core, psychological safety is the belief that you can speak up, share ideas, ask questions, or admit mistakes—without fear of being embarrassed, punished, or judged.

It’s about creating a culture where people feel safe taking interpersonal risks. That might mean challenging a popular idea in a meeting, admitting you don’t understand something, or even telling your boss you disagree with their decision. Those aren’t small things, and in the wrong culture, they can feel risky, even dangerous.

Psychological safety means people don’t have to put on a mask at work. They can be themselves. They don’t have to constantly calculate whether being honest will come back to bite them.

People can still disagree. Leaders can still give direct feedback. Expectations can (and should) stay high. But psychological safety is what allows real performance conversations to happen. It’s what lets people ask the “dumb” question that turns out to be a brilliant insight. It’s what creates space for new ideas before they’re fully formed.

It’s not about comfort. It’s about trust—and trust is what unlocks high performance.

Why Psychological Safety Matters Now More Than Ever

Some leaders may see psychological safety as something “nice to have.” But the truth is, it’s one of the most critical drivers of high performance.

Just look at Google’s Project Aristotle.

Google spent over two years studying what made some of their teams more effective than others. They looked at everything—skills, backgrounds, education levels, management styles, even where people sat. After all that analysis, one factor stood out far above the rest: psychological safety.

Teams with higher psychological safety were:

• Rated as effective two times more often

• Generating significantly more revenue

• Less likely to lose people to turnover

But it’s not just a Google thing.

Research across industries shows psychological safety boosts:

• Team performance – because people contribute more ideas and raise concerns early

• Individual performance – because people are more engaged and less afraid of mistakes

• Innovation and creativity – because people are willing to take risks

• Information sharing – because people don’t hold back what they know

• Job satisfaction and retention – because people feel respected and heard

In today’s environment where uncertainty, change, and performance pressure even extremely smart, high-powered employees, like those at Google, still need a psychologically safe work environment to contribute to their fullest.

What Leaders Can Do (Starting Today)

The good news? You don’t need a massive culture overhaul to create more psychological safety on your team. Here are 9 practical, research-backed things leaders can do:

1. Model openness. If you want your team to speak up, start by doing it yourself. Admit when you’re unsure. Ask for input. Show that you don’t have all the answers—and that’s okay.

2. Respond with curiosity, not judgment. When someone shares an idea or concern, avoid shutting it down. Ask questions. Show interest. You don’t have to agree, but you should always seek to understand.

3. Reward taking risks. Celebrate when someone takes a risk (sharing new ideas or sharing dissent), whether their idea worked or not. Reinforce the behaviors you want to see, not just the outcome.

4. Address poor teammates. If someone on the team shows poor teammate behaviors (not listening, downplaying other’s ideas), address it immediately.

5. Invite disagreement. Ask questions like “What am I missing?” or “Does anyone see it differently?” Signal that disagreement is not only allowed, but encouraged.

6. Make space for everyone. In meetings, some voices dominate and others go unheard. Be intentional about including quieter team members. Invite their perspective. Also, as the leader, share your ideas and options last to keep the conversation going.

7. Fix the small things. If someone raises a concern and nothing changes, they’ll stop speaking up. Follow through. Even small wins build trust.

8. Don’t punish mistakes. Focus on learning, not blame. When something goes wrong, ask: “What can we learn from this?” not “Who messed up?”

9. Check in often. Make regular space for open conversation. Ask how people are doing. What’s getting in their way? What could make their work better?

The Bottom Line

Psychological safety isn’t about making things easier. It’s about making people braver.

And the braver your team feels—the more they’ll contribute, challenge, improve, and innovate. That’s not softness. That’s strength.

So, if you’re leading a team right now, I have a challenge for you: Analyze your team. Does it appear that people feel safe speaking the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable? Here are some things to consider.

If the answer is “not really,” don’t panic. You can change it. And the payoff? It’s big.

Your Next Move

Based on how you answered the questions, pick one of the practices above and try it this week. Start small. Be consistent. Let your team know you’re working on creating a space where everyone can contribute their best.

Psychological safety isn’t a buzzword. It’s the backbone of great teams. Let’s stop treating it like it doesn’t matter and start leading like it does

Free Succession Planning Webinar

Please sign-up for my upcoming succession webinar

Register Here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5188bdd8-447f-43b0-aa20-efe4abf7b800@b1563aa9-779c-43c4-a3b8-29400ca86ff1

Most succession plans look great—until they’re needed.
And in today’s world of exponential change, even the best plans can fall short.

Join us for a free 60-minute webinar:
Succession Planning in the Exponential Age
📅Tuesday, August 5 (register with the link above)
🕛11:00 AM CT
🎯Designed for HR, OD, and senior leaders

Andy Noon, PhD

Sent the article? Subscribe for free.

Interested in learning more about our solutions? check them out.

Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you again next week.

Andy