Creating Psychological Safety at Work with EQ

Are people comfortable asking questions or pushing back in your organization? What do discussions look like? Is there an opportunity to make mistakes without costly consequences?

If you’re not sure of the answers to those questions, you don’t have what your workplace desperately needs: psychological safety. 

What is Psychological Safety at Work? 

At its core, psychological safety is an environment where people feel safe failing, not having all the answers, and speaking up with suggestions or critiques without the fear of being minimized, punished, or embarrassed. It’s about knowing your voice matters, even when your perspective differs. 

In a psychologically safe space, employees are willing to take risks, share new ideas, challenge the status quo, and engage in healthy debate and honest dialogue. Research constantly shows its importance for team performance, creativity, and employee engagement. 

The need for psychological safety is especially urgent today. A BCG survey on inclusion and diversity in leadership revealed that strong psychological safety helps reduce employee departures from 12% to just 3% over a year.

That same survey showed that when leaders build strong psychological safety, it increases employee self-confidence, makes them feel more respected and valued, and improves happiness and productivity in the workplace. 

When psychological safety is absent, employees tend to stay quiet, avoid conflict, and hold back, not only feedback and innovative ideas, but also critical information that could strengthen cross-functional collaboration and team performance. 

Using EQ to Create Psychological Safety

Leaders with strong EQ play a pivotal role in creating a psychological safe space. With awareness of their own and others' emotions, high EQ leaders:

• Build deeper trust and rapport by showing up with more vulnerability and authenticity 

• Sense when the people around them are stressed, anxious, or discouraged 

• Regulate their own emotions, which highly impacts the team dynamic

• Create space for open dialogue, especially when difficult conversations are needed

Creating a psychologically safe culture doesn’t mean eliminating difficult emotions. It’s about holding space for those emotions while balancing logic and empathy. Leaders with high EQ know how to navigate that tension; they elevate meaningful conversations rather than shutting down or avoiding the difficult ones. 

How to Leverage EQ For Psychological Safety 

If you’re a leader who wants to help create psychological safety at work, focus on emotional intelligence. Here’s how to get started. 

1. Know Your Emotional Baseline

Start by checking in with yourself. What’s your usual emotional state when nothing major is happening? Do you typically feel content, hopeful, anxious, or detached? Knowing your baseline helps you notice when you're off-balance, which can be the first step to managing your emotions more effectively.

You can improve your emotional baseline by prioritizing self-care through adequate sleep, regular exercise, and meaningful activities to recharge yourself. Reflect on moments that energize you at work or in life and create more of those moments. When your own cup is full, you’re better equipped to support others.

2. Listen Actively 

Active listening might be a buzzword, but it’s crucial to EQ. Too many leaders are “listening to speak,” simply waiting for their chance to jump into a conversation. Even if you’re trying to offer advice or empathize, it’s still making the conversation about yourself. 

Instead, follow the emotional cues of the person you’re speaking with. Hold space for them to work through their thoughts, and only offer feedback when appropriate. You’re listening to care, and that care is going to make a huge difference in creating psychological safety at work. 

3. Notice Your Triggers

Thoughtful leaders allow others to express their emotions, especially when team members struggle. In these moments, emotionally intelligent leaders act as emotional containers; they are fully present and empathetic without becoming overwhelmed or triggered themselves.

In difficult conversations, pause and ask yourself:

• Am I becoming emotionally entangled, or am I holding steady?

• Can I stay present for their emotions while staying centered myself?

This ability to self-regulate allows you to stay calm, create safety, and provide stability for your teams, especially during tension or uncertainty.

4. Validate Emotions and Don’t Rush to Solve the Problem 

When employees share concerns, they’re often not immediately looking for solutions. They want to feel heard and seen. When leaders jump too quickly to problem-solving, it can leave employees feeling dismissed or unheard. Use simple acknowledgments like:

• “That sounds really challenging.”

• “It seems like you were caught off guard, and that felt frustrating.”

• “I hear how much you value collaboration, and being left out made you feel isolated.”

Validating emotional experience can disarm the person. When people feel seen and heard, they’re more receptive to what you want to offer and open to constructive conversations.

5. Help Reframe and Co-Regulate

One powerful component in EQ is social regulation, the ability to influence the emotional clarity of others through managing relationships and building networks. It’s all about building rapport and trust. 

Being able to reframe a conflict and help others regulate their emotions makes it more productive. It can also help lead to resolution, so strong feelings don’t linger when a conflict is resolved. A leader with high EQ will help their team gain perspective out of the heat of the moment.

Creating psychological safety is imperative for any organization that wants to thrive. By focusing on emotional intelligence, leaders can cultivate environments where team members feel empowered to speak up, take risks, and contribute their best work. 

Do you want to understand psychological safety in your organization? Curious what your baseline EQ is? Take an assessment for the insights you need.

Author: Kefei Wang 王柯斐

Growing up in China, Denmark, and the United States offered a diverse upbringing for Kefei. Now, she works as part of a diverse and creative team that serves global clients. She connects her core values and daily role by empowering TTI Success Insights to grow as a global brand through analyzing customer insights and strategizing marketing plans.