Psychological safety has rightly become a staple in leadership conversations. It has been linked to innovation, high‑performing teams, and resilient cultures.
However, deliberately or inadvertently, psychological safety is being confused with psychological comfort. And while both sound positive, they take organisations in very different directions.
Psychological safety is the belief that people can speak up, especially when it’s difficult, without fear of embarrassment, exclusion, or retaliation. It is the foundation that allows teams to:
- Raise concerns early and challenge assumptions
- Admit mistakes
- Offer dissenting views
- Take smart risks
In other words, psychological safety fuels the kind of constructive challenge and tension that healthy organisations depend on, and yet it is rarely comfortable and many leaders avoid it at all costs!
Instead, they ease into psychological comfort. This absence of tension is ‘nice’, but it’s not a performance driver and unintentionally create cultures where:
- Difficult conversations are avoided
- Underperformance is tolerated
- Innovation stalls
- Accountability and ambition fades over time.
There is an imperative for leaders to not only spot the difference but actively shape the culture to be a psychologically safe one. There are some practical things that can be done:
- Model vulnerability: Admit what you don’t know; it signals that truth matters more than ego.
- Reward candour: Publicly acknowledge people who raise tough issues.
- Hold high standards: Be clear and consistent on your expectations.
- Invite dissent early: Ask “What are we missing?” before decisions are final.
- Normalise discomfort: Remind teams that tension is a sign of growth, not dysfunction.
With that in mind, take time to think:
- Are you operating in a safe or comfortable environment?
- When did you last openly acknowledge that you didn’t know something?
- How did you last react when you were challenged?
- Are you confident your team are clear on your expectations? What else do you need to do?
- How effective are you at holding the tension? What can you do as a leader to help your teams sit longer with the discomfort?
As leaders, we can show our people that we are role modelling the changes that all of us want to see. Let’s be better and be the change – contact [email protected] if you would like help to do so.
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