Psychological safety at work doesn’t begin with team trust-building exercises, policies or well-worded values statements. It begins with vulnerability modelled by those in leadership roles.
In a recent blog, we explored how and why creating psychological safety on your team is critical.
To recap briefly, psychological safety is creating space where folks feel free to speak up, share ideas and concerns and be themselves without fear of being shamed or penalized.
When team members feel safe, they:
- tend to have higher engagement, motivation and loyalty.
- are more likely to not just give their best effort but go above and beyond.
- don’t waste energy and time trying to protect themselves.
- can take risks and learn from their mistakes.
Some of these benefits have been quantified. According to research, teams with high psychological safety experience:
- 27% less turnover
- 40% fewer errors
- 74% less stress
Leaders set the tone for psychological safety at work by showing respect and openness, valuing diverse ideas and contributions and by encouraging healthy conflict around ideas (not unhealthy conflict around people and relationships). But that’s not all.
In their article, Taking Your Team Behind the Curtain: The Effects of Leader Feedback-Sharing and Feedback-Seeking on Team Psychological Safety, Constantinos G.V. Coutifaris and Adam M. Grant discuss research that demonstrates leaders who share feedback about their own negative performance build psychological safety for their team members.
It’s important to note that researchers found that if leaders sought feedback from their team members, it did not have the same effect that feedback-sharing did. This is thought to be because sometimes employees hesitate to share candidly with someone in leadership—or if they do, leaders can become defensive, which then works against feelings of psychological safety.
Boost psychological safety at work by sharing your shortcomings
The research is clear: When leaders can be vulnerable and share about criticism they’ve received or mistakes they’ve made, it builds psychological safety. This is because when leaders share vulnerably about negative performance reviews they’ve received or ways they’ve erred, it encourages others on the team to disclose their own challenges.
Here are some ways that leaders can share about themselves in a way that encourages psychological safety at work:
1. Admit when you’ve made a mistake
For example: “I made the call to run the numbers for the report before we had finalized input from all departments. We had to take another run at it, which wasted time and energy. Here’s what I learned.”
What others see: A leader who takes accountability and has the emotional courage to learn from mistakes. This encourages team members to share honestly and focus on solutions rather than blame.
2. Be honest when you don’t have all the answers
For example: “While we weren’t expecting this hurdle and we don’t have all the information yet, what I do know now is X. Now, some of you have raised Y and Z as issues, so I will check into that and let you know what I find out.”
What others see: A leader who is honest about what is known and unknown, reassuring through uncertainty, listens to others and respects their input and builds trust by updating as information is available. This leader is still accountable while building credibility and will make the final decision.
3. Share honestly about a past personal struggle
(Pro tip: The experience you share must help your audience, not serve to stroke your own ego.)
For example: “Early in my career, I had a very hard time if I had to do public speaking. What helped me was to…”
What others see: A leader who can be vulnerable about challenges, who is relatable and authentically human and who is able and willing to mentor others. It encourages team members to be open to growth.
4. Name the discomfort
For example:“The new owners have said they are considering restructuring our department. I will keep you updated as I learn more. I know this makes everyone anxious, and I feel that, too.”
What others see: A leader who doesn’t ignore difficult conversations, validates emotions and can be trusted. This leader can relate without crossing the line into emotional dumping.
5. Admit when you’re wrong
For example: “I didn’t act quickly enough when you raised cyber security concerns. That’s on me, which is why I’m going to XYZ.”
What others see: A leader who takes accountability, builds trust and focuses on solutions. In extreme situations, leaders can even rebuild trust after a serious breakdown.
Building psychological safety at work through sharing vulnerabilities requires a delicate balance. Leaders need to be vulnerable without oversharing and burdening others with the challenge or making them feel responsible for your emotions. You want to be vulnerable but also retain a solid executive presence.
Vulnerability in leadership is a strategic strength
When leaders are able to show their vulnerability by being authentic about mistakes, uncertainties, emotions and being wrong, they build trust with team members. And trust is the foundation for psychological safety at work.
It takes courage to lead with vulnerability because we all worry about being judged or viewed as incompetent or failing in some way. Demonstrating that you accept your own weaknesses and can learn from them encourages others to take the risk to do the same.
By leading with vulnerability, leaders create psychological safety at work. This fosters innovation, encourages a growth mindset and establishes open communication.
Coach’s Questions
Do your team members speak freely? Who hesitates and why? What signals do you send to your team about psychological safety—and what might need to change?
