The Fear Factor: Why Psychological Safety Unlocks High Performance

Ever been in a meeting where you had an idea—maybe even a great one—but decided to keep it to yourself? Maybe you weren’t sure how people would react. Maybe you didn’t want to risk looking foolish. Or maybe you’d spoken up before, only to be ignored, dismissed, or subtly shut down.

Now, imagine that happening across an entire organization.

How many innovative ideas never get shared? How many mistakes go uncorrected because no one wants to admit them? How many potential breakthroughs never happen—not because people lack talent or ambition, but because they don’t feel safe enough to take the risk?

That’s the hidden cost of low psychological safety, and it’s one of the biggest barriers to high performance that most leaders don’t even realize they’re creating.

Psychological safety isn’t just about “being nice” at work. It’s not about avoiding discomfort or making sure no one ever feels challenged. It’s about something far more powerful: ensuring that people feel safe to speak up, take risks, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas—without fear of punishment or embarrassment.

Without it [psychological safety], teams stagnate. Innovation dies. And the best people disengage.

Why Psychological Safety is the Foundation of High Performance

Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson’s studies of high-performing teams revealed something counterintuitive: The best teams weren’t the ones with the most experience or the highest IQs. They were the ones where people felt safe to contribute openly, challenge each other, and admit when they didn’t know something.

When psychological safety is present, people:

• Take initiative—they don’t wait for permission, they act.
• Admit mistakes early—so small problems don’t spiral into crises.
• Challenge bad ideas—so teams avoid expensive failures.
• Engage more deeply—because they trust that their voice matters.

But when psychological safety is missing?

• People keep quiet instead of offering new ideas.
• They hide mistakes instead of fixing them.
• They play it safe instead of taking smart risks.
• They disengage instead of pushing for excellence.

And here’s the kicker—this isn’t just about feelings. It’s about performance.

When people don’t feel safe to take risks, they default to not making mistakes instead of doing their best work. And those are not the same thing.

How Leaders (Maybe Unintentionally) Kill Psychological Safety

Most leaders think they’re fostering a psychologically safe environment. They say things like, “My door is always open!” or “You can always come to me with concerns!” But then… their actions say something completely different.

Here are three common ways leaders destroy psychological safety:

1. Punishing failure instead of learning from it.

If people know they’ll be blamed for making a mistake, they’ll do everything in their power to hide mistakes instead of fixing them. In a psychologically safe culture, failure isn’t ignored—it’s used as a tool for learning and improvement.

2. Dismissing feedback instead of encouraging it.

Ever had a leader say they “welcome feedback” but then get defensive the second someone speaks up? If employees see that honesty leads to pushback—or worse, retaliation—they stop giving real feedback.

3. Micromanaging instead of trusting.

When leaders hover over every decision, second-guess their team’s choices, or insist on controlling the smallest details, they send a clear message: I don’t trust you. And if people feel like their judgment isn’t valued, they’ll stop making independent decisions.

Building Psychological Safety—The Right Way

So, how do you create a space where people feel safe to contribute but challenged to grow?

One of the best ways is by strengthening Psychological Capital (PsyCap)—a model that helps build confidence and resilience in teams. PsyCap is made up of four key elements:

• Hope – The belief that the future can be better and that we have the ability to make it happen.
• Efficacy – The confidence that we can take on challenges and succeed.
• Resilience – The ability to bounce back from setbacks.
• Optimism – A positive expectation about outcomes.

When leaders build these elements in their teams, they create the conditions for trust, risk-taking, and innovation.

And it doesn’t take grand gestures. Small, consistent actions—like admitting when you don’t know something, owning up to mistakes, and encouraging real feedback—can shift the culture in a massive way.

The One Move That Creates Psychological Safety Instantly

Here’s something simple you can do today to create more psychological safety in your space—whether it’s at work, in your friendships, or even at home.

👉 When someone shares an idea, instead of reacting immediately, pause and say: “Tell me more about that.”

Why? Because when people share ideas, they’re testing whether it’s safe to contribute. If they get shut down—or worse, ignored—they learn it’s not safe. They stop engaging. But when you say, “Tell me more about that,” you’re signaling that you’re open. That their voice matters. That their contribution is valued—even if it’s not perfect.

And when you do that consistently? You create an environment where people not only have permission to speak up—they want to.

Final Thought: Is Your Team Safe Enough to Succeed?

Take a second to reflect:

• Do people feel safe to speak up in your space?
• When someone makes a mistake, do they own it—or do they hide it?
• Do your team members challenge ideas, or do they just agree to avoid rocking the boat?
• Are people willing to admit when they don’t know something, or do they fake confidence to avoid looking weak?

The best teams, the best workplaces, the best relationships—they aren’t the ones with the fewest mistakes. They’re the ones where mistakes get caught early. Where ideas get challenged in a way that leads to better outcomes. Where people aren’t afraid to contribute.

So, whether you’re leading a team, working on a project, or just trying to be a better collaborator—ask yourself:

"Am I creating an environment where people want to bring their best?"

And if you’re wondering how to take this even further—how to make psychological safety a built-in part of your team or organization? Well…we’ve got a lot more to talk about.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/71wqnhXGUok