The Leadership Habits That Build (or Break) Psychological Safety
Imagine walking into a meeting, knowing that if you raise a concern or admit you messed up, you’ll be shot down, shamed, or ignored.
It just feels awful.
Now imagine the opposite: speaking up knowing people will listen, even when you mess up. That’s what psychological safety should feel like.
I remember once working under a leader who praised my idea in front of everyone, but then later changed direction without mentioning it. I was left feeling belittled. Over time, I stopped offering ideas. It wasn’t dramatic. Just… silence. Disengaged. That cost everyone: me, the leader, the team.
What the Research Says
|
Metric / Finding |
Statistical Data |
What It Means for Leadership + Team |
|
Only 43 % of respondents in a global McKinsey survey reported a positive team climate. |
Less than half of teams feel psychologically safe. |
Leadership needs to step up climate-building, not assume things are OK. |
|
Organisations that invest heavily in leadership development are 64 % more likely to have senior leaders rated as inclusive. |
Training leaders works. But not all programs are equal. |
Focus on inclusion, consultative and supportive leadership behaviours. |
|
Low psychological safety correlates with quitting risk of ~12 % for certain groups; high psychological safety reduces that to ~3 %. |
Big retention boost when workplaces are safe. |
Strong leadership leads to lower turnover. |
Leadership Behaviours That Create Psychological Safety
Here are behaviours research says leaders must practise:
- Consultative: Ask your team what they think. Let them influence decisions, especially on issues that affect them.
- Supportive: Show you care about them as people—not just as workers. Encourage when things are hard; recognise everyday wins.
- Challenging (once the climate is good): Push people to rethink old ways. Stretch their thinking. But don’t do this if the team doesn’t already feel safe. Otherwise you risk backfire.
Senior leaders matter a lot here. When leaders at the top demonstrate behaviour that is inclusive, consultative, supportive, psychological safety seeps through the organisation.
Why Leadership That Creates Psychological Safety Pays Off
- More innovation: Teams speak up with half-baked ideas early. That leads to faster problem solving and creativity.
- Better retention: People stay when they feel heard, when mistakes don’t feel fatal. As above: quitting risk drops from ~12 % to ~3 %.
- Greater adaptability: When change hits (remote working, disruption etc.), teams with psychological safety cope better.
- Safety & error-reporting (in healthcare and complex industries): Leaders who promote inclusion, trust, self-worth see fewer medical errors, more reporting, more learning. (PubMed)
Mistakes Leaders Often Make
In my experience, these are the traps:
- Thinking “open door” equals psychological safety. It doesn’t if people fear consequences or ridicule.
- Being inconsistent: supportive in one moment, shutting down in another. That kills safety fast.
- Assuming just because feedback is invited, it will be given. However, if people don’t trust you, they’ll stay silent.
- Ignoring diversity of experience. What feels safe for one might feel scary for another (culture, gender, experience etc.).
What You Can Do: Practical Moves for Leadership
Here are things you can try today to grow psychological safety in your team through your leadership:
- Start meetings by admitting something you got wrong. Show vulnerability.
- Ask quieter team members directly (but politely) for their input. Give them space.
- When giving feedback, frame it as helping improve rather than catching out mistakes. The key here is development (not constructive).
- Survey your team anonymously: “Do you feel you can speak up without negative consequences?” Track the answers over time.
- Include psychological safety metrics in leadership KPIs. Make it part of what you’re measured on.
Questions for You
- How often do you see silence in your team, when you expect opinions?
- When was the last time you (as leader) received feedback you didn’t like, and how did you react?
- What would need to change for your team to feel safe admitting mistakes?
- Which leadership behaviour above feels hardest for you, and why?
If leadership builds psychological safety well, your team will take risks, challenge bad ideas, and innovate. If not, you’ll see disengagement, hidden mistakes, and frustration.
You’ll likely see more conflicts too.
Let me know if you want help designing concrete steps (I’ve got some frameworks ready).
Check out our upcoming free MASTERCLASSES that focus on how to Feel Good at Work, how to work Better Together, Talk Smart (communication techniques), Mission Control (leadership techniques), Essential Human Skills, and how to Tame Your Time.
If you want to improve your behavioural skills and master the human side of work, book your free strategy session here.
Listen to Podcast Here:
About the Author
Barbara Clifford (The Time Tamer) is a co-founder of The Hinwood Institute. She is the lead trainer and coach in Time Management. She is a recognized leader in Stress Management. An experienced coach, speaker, columnist and facilitator, Barbara’s work with The Hinwood Institute assists people to unclutter mess, make order from chaos, and swap the shackles of overwhelming for freedom. Barbara’s clients move from the relentless hamster wheel to waking inspired, motivated, making decisions with purpose and achieving peak performance. She lives in the desert of Alice Springs, Australia working with people around the country. Her professional experience has included contracts with small business, Not For Profits, Aboriginal Organisations, Media, Marketing, Aged Care, Universities, Health Services and Cruise Ships