Stop Waiting for Leaders to Build Psychological Safety

The road is not easy, but it's worth the effort.

Source: Fabien Bazanegue/Unsplash

Leaders often get stuck with all the heavy lifting when it comes to creating a safe workplace, but what about team members? They're not off the hook! Psychological safety, the belief that you can take risks without fear of punishment or humiliation, isn’t just one person’s responsibility—it’s a team effort.

Real safety, a space where bold ideas are shared and hard truths are spoken, can only happen when all team members contribute to that feeling. It needs active participation from everyone. Here are some ways to get you started.

Seizing Defining Moments

Fear often acts as a brake, holding us back from not only poor decisions but also important ones. This fear separates moments of regret from what psychologists call "defining moments," pivotal experiences that shape our character and future choices. They ultimately define who we are.

Take an early experience from my career. Freshly promoted to VP, I attended a meeting where a CEO disrespected one of his female employees. Everyone, including my boss, stayed silent. Fear warned me to stay silent, but I decided to speak up, addressing the CEO directly. The room froze, and I thought I had committed career suicide.

Although the meeting was abruptly canceled and I almost got fired, my little outburst prompted the CEO to start treating his team more respectfully. This single moment set a new tone—not only for the client but for my team as well. They began speaking up more frequently, realizing that we’re all in this together when it comes to creating a safe space.

The lesson is clear: If you see something, do something. Don’t wait for your leader to give you permission. Take the initiative, and others will follow.

Stop Blaming Your Manager

I’m not suggesting that managers don’t play a key role. My point is: Don’t use that as an excuse. It’s easy to say, “My team isn’t safe to speak up,” and pin the blame on the leader. Psychological safety is a shared responsibility. A Gallup study shows that only 30 percent of employees strongly agree that their opinions count at work. But does that mean you should stop sharing your ideas?

Success isn’t easy—no one ever said it would be otherwise. Take Stephen King’s uphill journey to become a writer. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times before it was published and went on to sell millions of copies. Remember, having your ideas being rejected or ignored doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Maybe you need to improve your pitch—or keep fighting.

Blaming others is an easy way out. Instead, focus on what you can control: Trust yourself and keep doing what’s right.

Taking Risks Is Contagious

People often do what others do. There’s a psychological effect known as “behavioral contagion,” where actions spread like wildfire within a group. That’s why modeling courageous behavior is so powerful. When people see one person speak up or take a stand, they’re more likely to follow suit.

Research by McKinsey shows that you don’t need to convince everyone to improve your workplace culture. You just need to reach a surprisingly lower threshold: 7 percent. Building a psychological safety space requires at least 7 percent of your colleagues to actively participate.

In my work with teams, I help participants take risks and model vulnerability to inspire others. It’s not just about bravery for its own sake. When you take small risks and nothing happens, it becomes easier for others to follow suit.

Challenge Fears With Facts

Much of the fear around speaking up is rooted in worst-case scenarios that rarely materialize. Research from Penn State reveals that 91 percent of our worries never come true. Yet, the fear of punishment or humiliation looms large in the workplace, often paralyzing us from sharing our ideas or thoughts.

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When I ask teams, “What’s the worst that could happen if you speak up?” they often imagine immediate termination or severe reprimand. But when I dig deeper, they can’t cite stories when someone was actually punished. In fact, many realize that their fears are mostly unfounded.

This doesn’t mean that all your fears are made up. However, we must challenge those assumptions, distinguishing facts from unfounded worries.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Perfectionism is a major obstacle to change, as I discussed in a previous post. You either conquer it, or it will conquer you.

In my experience consulting with both larger organizations and start-ups, most teams approach psychological safety with a perfectionist mindset. They think it is about removing conflict and friction from all interactions. When something goes wrong, they express that their team “lacks psychological safety.”

However, it’s important to understand that psychological safety is a spectrum that has different levels. It’s not whether you have it or not. There are various levels, as expressed on the psychological safety ladder. You must understand which level your team is playing at and work hard to move to the next one.

Start by asking your colleagues questions like: How can we promote more participation in meetings? What small steps can we take today to embrace constructive conflict? How easy is it to ask for help in our team? How can we approach mistakes with a growth mindset?

Even small actions can lead to significant gains over time. As psychological safety increases, so will trust and collaboration. But it starts with taking that first small step.

Collective Courage Over "Safetyism"

Finally, it’s time to challenge how we use the term "psychological safety." While the concept is valuable, focusing too much on safety can lead to "safetyism.” When a team tries to build a safety bubble, everyone could become overly cautious and avoid risk altogether.

Feeling safe is a means to an end—to speak up and share your perspective. Rather than talking about psychological safety, maybe promote collective courage instead—the willingness to take risks as a group.

Let’s face it: Leaders play a key role, but you don’t need to wait for them to take the first step. You have the power to shape your own defining moments. Your colleagues are watching. Be the mirror others want to look into—one that reflects authenticity, trust, and courage.