Imagine this: You walk into a meeting where no one dares to speak up. People nod along, avoid eye contact, and keep ideas tucked away. Concerns are unvoiced. Challenges remain hidden. Innovation stalls, and productivity slips through the cracks.

The cause? Not incompetence. Not laziness.
It’s the absence of psychological safety. 

What Is Psychological Safety?

According to Dr. Amy Edmondson, professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Fearless Organization, psychological safety is “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes” (Edmondson, 2019).

It doesn’t mean being “nice” or avoiding conflict—it means fostering an environment where candor is welcome, questions are encouraged, and uncertainty is met with curiosity, not judgment. In high-psychological-safety environments, people challenge the status quo and bring their full selves to work.

The Hidden Costs of Silence

When psychological safety is lacking, teams suffer in quiet but measurable ways. People self-censor to avoid conflict or embarrassment. Mistakes are covered up instead of corrected. Team learning slows. Creativity dries up.

And the biggest cost? Innovation—the lifeblood of long-term success—gets strangled. 

Psychological Safety Is the #1 Factor for High-Performing Teams

In Project Aristotle, Google’s massive study of over 180 teams, researchers found that psychological safety was the most important driver of team success—above structure, dependability, clarity, and even intelligence (Rozovsky, 2015).

When people feel safe:

• They collaborate more effectively
• They take smarter risks
• They learn faster
• They bounce back from setbacks with agility

Why Psychological Safety Matters Now More Than Ever

We’re operating in a VUCA world—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. In this reality, the ability to learn and adapt is the only sustainable advantage. Psychological safety is what fuels that adaptability.

It’s also the foundation for:

• Inclusive team cultures
• Agile transformations
• Innovation readiness
• Resilient leadership

How to Start Building Psychological Safety Today

Creating a psychologically safe culture doesn’t require massive change. It starts with everyday leadership behaviors:

• Model curiosity: Ask open-ended questions without judgment.
• Celebrate candor: Publicly thank people for raising issues or concerns.
• Normalize mistakes: Share your own learning moments to set the tone.
• Reward vulnerability: Create space for uncertainty, learning, and imperfection.

Being human is not a liability—it’s a strategic asset. 

Silence Is Expensive. Fear Is Toxic.

Psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a business imperative.
The organizations that thrive in the future will be those that make it safe to speak the truth today.

If you want to bring psychological safety into your organization but aren't sure where to begin, start here by reading this InKNOWnative Insights: How to Use InKNOWnative’s Step-by-Step Training to Build Sustainable Psychological Safety. 

Citations

Edmondson, A. (2019). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley.
Rozovsky, J. (2015). The five keys to a successful Google team. Google re:Work.

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The spark of innovation & knowledge is native to each of us. Empowering organizations to build fearless, high-performing, learning cultures through psychological safety, inclusion, and innovation.

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