This Week on Aevitium: Building the Conditions for Challenge, Accountability, and Trust
Julien Haye
Transforming Risk into Opportunity—Strategic Risk Leader | Advisor | Speaker | Author | Chair, NED, & Trustee
👋 New to Aevitium? Start here
Welcome! Each week we explore how culture, leadership, and governance shape smarter risk-taking. Start with our Thought Leadership Articles and listen to the RiskMasters podcast for deep dives with global risk leaders.
Featured Article: Building Psychological Safety in Risk Management - A Practical Guide to the Four Stages
“Risk work goes against our instincts. Speaking up, challenging consensus, exposing uncomfortable truths — none of it comes naturally. That is why psychological safety is what makes the work of risk possible.” — Julien Haye
Hello everyone,
Happy Monday. I hope your week is off to a purposeful and focused start.
Last week, we explored the 7 core attributes of effective risk taking and how mindsets, not just frameworks, shape how teams act under pressure.
This week, I’m returning to a foundational question: What makes people speak up or stay silent in moments that matter?
In my latest article, The Four Stages of Psychological Safety in Risk Management, I examine how Timothy R. Clark’s framework can be applied across the risk lifecycle:
Why Inclusion Safety helps uncover blind spots early
How Learner Safety encourages smarter control design
Where Contributor Safety improves ownership and execution
How Challenger Safety strengthens escalation and governance
A step-by-step model to put it all into practice
These stages shape how risks are identified, how issues are raised, and how governance actually functions under pressure.
If you're building a stronger speak-up culture or rethinking how your teams challenge assumptions, this article might offer a helpful lens.
I’d love to hear how you're fostering psychological safety within your team or function, especially where it connects to risk, compliance, or governance.
Wishing you a week of open dialogue and sharper insight,
Best, Julien
READ THE FULL ARTICLE - 🔗 https://www.aevitium.com/post/four-stages-of-psychological-safety-risk-management
🧩 Curious how your team really takes risk?
Our Risk Leadership Diagnostic reveals the mindsets, behaviours, and culture shaping your decisions. If you're aiming for alignment, influence, and clarity - this is where to begin.
TAKE THE ASSESSMENT - 🔗 https://www.aevitium.com/leadership-behaviour-insight-assessment
Strategic Resources & Insights:
1️⃣ New insights on the Three Lines Model and Governance: 45% of risk professionals say lack of leadership backing prevents escalation. A new pilot is launching to diagnose and fix upward communication breakdowns.
2️⃣ Book Update: The Risk Within is now available! The book applies the Four Stages of Psychological Safety to risk and governance, showing how challenge breaks down without safety.
3️⃣ RiskMasters Podcast: This week, Brenda Boultwood joins to discuss board leadership, AI, and the future of strategic governance.
4️⃣ Upcoming Events & Webinars: From ICAAP and operational resilience to new trainings on Basel IV and crisis management—see what’s ahead.
5️⃣ Curated Articles: New insights on dynamic risk culture, immersive learning, and how psychological safety helps teams surface truth and navigate board dynamics.
📩 Stay ahead of the curve—scroll below to explore these resources and opportunities.
1️⃣ Governance Gaps: What Stops Middle Managers from Escalating Risk?
Middle managers play a pivotal role in risk culture. They sit close to where risk emerges but often far from where decisions are made. Our latest poll shows a clear pattern: the biggest blocker is a lack of leadership backing.
45% said lack of leadership support makes escalation harder
29% pointed to fear of blame
14% cited pressure to deliver
12% said risk is simply downplayed
What This Tells Us
These numbers reinforce a deeper cultural issue. When middle managers don’t feel safe or supported, issues stay hidden until they become costly. Escalation culture is not just a tone-from-the-top challenge. It’s about trust, alignment, and the daily signals leaders send.
Effective governance depends on more than process. It depends on people feeling heard. That’s why we’re now exploring a practical diagnostic to help organisations assess where risk signals break down and how to rebuild trust across levels.
Consultations are continuing with CROs across sectors to select a small number of organisations for early participation. Our first pilot is about to begin. If your team is exploring how to strengthen upward risk communication, this is the right time to get involved.
ASK TO JOIN THE PILOT - 🔗 https://www.aevitium.com/contact
📊 Ongoing Poll: Which Line Feels Most Disconnected in Governance?
Human factors are often overlooked in governance design, yet they play a critical role in how risk is surfaced, discussed, and acted upon. Our latest poll shows that 36% of respondents believe trust is the most important human factor shaping governance outcomes.
COMPLETE OUR SURVEY - 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7346425002772033536?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACPfFMB6H2gmXmX07V0yupet72E9uvZ5kQ
2️⃣ Inside “The Risk Within”: Why Challenge Fails Without Safety
Why do capable teams fall silent when it matters most?
Last week, we looked at how many risk teams are present but not positioned to shape the decisions that matter. This week, we dig deeper into why challenge fails even when frameworks are in place and technical expertise is strong.
The answer is not always structural. It’s psychological.
In The Risk Within, we explore Timothy R. Clark’s Four Stages of Psychological Safety and how they apply to risk and governance. His model shows how individuals move from feeling included, to feeling safe to learn, then contribute, and ultimately challenge.
When these stages break down, so does risk oversight.
📖 What You’ll Take Away:
Why challenge feels risky even for senior leaders
How subtle signals of exclusion block escalation and dissent
How to use the Four Stages to diagnose where safety is missing
Practical steps leaders can take to create a safe path to speak up
🗳️ Ongoing poll:
Early results show that most risk and compliance teams struggle with late involvement, limited authority, and being seen as blockers. These barriers continue to undermine their ability to shape strategic decisions.
💬 What readers are saying about The Risk Within
“Provides useful models that are both insightful and applicable.” — Søren Agergaard Andersen, CRO
“A much-needed perspective on behavioral risk.” — Michele Wucker, author of The Gray Rhino
"Julien Haye doesn’t merely analyze control and risk management functions: he shakes them up to reinvent them as catalysts of strategic performance.” — Julien Valletoux, CRO & Board Member, Crédit Immobilier de France
If you’ve ever sensed risk isn’t just about systems, but also about people not speaking up; you’re not alone. This book is for you.
"I don’t think risk management is about compliance anymore. I think it’s about enabling a business and enabling a strategy." – Brenda Boultwood
3️⃣ RiskMasters: The CPD Risk Management Podcast
In this CPD-accredited episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Brenda Boultwood, a seasoned Chief Risk Officer (CRO), economist, board advisor, and tech executive, to explore the evolving nature of risk leadership across industries and geographies. Brenda brings a unique perspective from her work across finance, energy, academia, the IMF, and Silicon Valley.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring more thought-provoking content and insights from industry leaders.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://www.aevitium.com/post/brenda-boultwood-on-riskmasters
🔔 Subscribe now and stay informed on the future of risk.
🎙 On Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/riskmasters/id1709495792?i=1000710473825
🎙 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39kvq1RN8Am7NaPLw1Dbox?si=D6JZEQOhQn6LlBmoU2NXRg
🔄 Enjoyed this week’s issue? Forward it to a colleague who leads on risk, governance, or strategy.
4️⃣ Upcoming Events & Webinars
Join us for upcoming live events that tackle today’s real-world challenges in risk, compliance, and leadership. We added two new events on Basel IV and Crisis Management. Highlights include:
🔹 Scenario Analysis and ICAAP Reporting (02–04 Sept)
🔹 Why Your Risk Strategy Starts with Trust (10 Sept)
🔹 ICAAP Lifecycle and Implementation (16–18 Sept)
🔹 Mastering Operational Resilience (06–08 Oct)
Each session is designed to be practical and engaging.
EXPLORE THE FULL SCHEDULE - 🔗https://www.aevitium.com/risk-events
5️⃣ More Articles from our Risk & Leadership Series
🔗 Risk Certification, The New Normal How today’s risk leaders are being measured not just by frameworks, but by the culture, trust, and safe challenge they enable.
🔗 Embracing a Dynamic Risk Culture Culture is not static. Explore how trust, openness, and behavioural cues shape risk maturity in rapidly changing environments.
🔗 Immersive Learning in Risk Management Learn why experiential learning drives better risk decisions and how it helps embed psychological safety across teams.
🔗 Risk Unboxed: Navigating Board Dynamics and Uncomfortable Truths A candid look at boardroom friction, escalation breakdowns, and how leaders can create environments where truth can surface.
Let's discuss how I could help; book a meeting now!
Should you have any questions or if you'd like to discuss how our services can specifically benefit your organisation, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at julienhaye@aevitium.com or call me at +44 7700 160052. You can also book a meeting directly by clicking on the button below.
💬 These gaps won’t fix themselves; let’s walk through how your governance compares. We’re helping teams explore where their frameworks and behaviours align and where they don’t.
--Impulsto transformaciones basadas en las personas
1moMuchas gracias por compartir el post. Sin dejar de reconocer el profundo impacto emocional, mi memoria evoca múltiples ejemplos que ilustran la ausencia de seguridad psicológica. Tras una serie de accidentes graves, nuestro equipo propuso integrar la seguridad psicológica al cumplimiento de procedimientos, pero la dirección sostuvo que la solución era sencilla: la gente debía simplemente ceñirse a lo escrito. A menudo se asume que las posiciones de responsabilidad facilitan la reflexión y la escucha activa, pero en la práctica esto ocurre con mucha menos frecuencia de lo esperado. 🧠 ♥️
Financial Crime Risk specialist. Author "SAFE WORD: NO" "How not to be a money launderer", "Understanding Suspicion in Financial Crime", "Cleaning up the 'Net", "Trade Based Financial Crime". Consult: Teach: Inform.
1moThis is going to take a while to work through but my initial reading suggests that it's an unusually valuable contribution to the question of risk which is, of course, closely allied to my own work in relation to suspicion. If you take away nothing else, note this: "45% of professionals believe that middle managers don't "escalate risk issues" because of a perceived lack of leadership backing." My quotation marks because it's a bit buzzwordy for me but the import is extremely important. If you don't tell you boss you are worried about something because you don't think he'll support you (which is not the same as saying he agrees with your conclusion) the company has a problem that, ultimately, ends in people leaving, people acting badly (which might include criminal actions) or making public statements about their concerns. That this information was produced from a poll conducted on LinkedIn suggests that the number of companies with this problem is vast. We already know that people are reluctant to make internal reports of suspicion of financial crime: this makes it clear that that problem is not restricted to my specific area of risk. That's worrying. Julien Haye #morriscotterill #risk