4 Ways to Boost Your Team’s Psychological Safety as A Leader

Good leaders create environments where people can voice their ideas and concerns, take risks and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences.

This is often not the case and is easier said than done.

Ineffective processes, unclear expectations, lack of support and open communication make people feel unsafe at work.

If team members feel unsafe, this impacts collaboration, innovation, and growth. They will not give their best.

Psychological safety is a key factor for well-functioning teams.

The lack of safety creates stress and anxiety, inhibiting brain functions that allow us to broaden our perspective and be creative in problem-solving.

psychological safety

Today’s organisations and leaders must actively work to enhance their teams’ sense of safety, not just alleviate the symptoms with anti-stress and wellness programs.

Based on Timothy R. Clark’s framework described in his book “The Four Stages of Psychological Safety”, there are 4 distinct yet intertwining and complementary aspects or stages team members go through in their quest for safety at work.

Here’s a quick checklist to ensure that you, as a leader, are doing everything possible to cultivate safety in your team:

 

✓ Do your team members feel they belong and are a part of the team?

✓ Can and do they ask questions and address complex issues? Are they allowed or motivated to experiment, make small mistakes and ask for help if needed?

✓ Are they keen to contribute their own ideas? Do they actively share their viewpoints and perspectives without fearing embarrassment or ridicule?

✓ Can they question and challenge others’ ideas (including those in authority)? Do they suggest new alternatives?

Keep in mind that those stages are not necessarily linear.

Your team members may navigate them in a different order or skip stages, depending on the context.

Your role as a leader is to understand your team’s dynamics and effectively empower your people to feel safe so they can perform at their natural best.

Safety is no binary on/off switch. It requires continuous, intentional effort.

You may not spot the positive changes at first. However, the long-term effects will be an “aha” moment worth striving for.

What if one weekly question can change the way you lead and shape your career?

Each week, I share insights and prompts to help you step back, gain clarity, and lead yourself (and others) with intention, not just reaction.