Psychological safety has become one of the most widely used concepts in leadership and organizational development. It is also one of the most misunderstood.
It is not about creating an environment where everyone always feels comfortable. It is about creating an environment where it is possible to take interpersonal risks without facing negative consequences.
What the research says
Amy Edmondsons forskning vid Harvard Business School – bland de mest citerade inom området – visar att psykologisk trygghet är den enskilt viktigaste faktorn för teamprestation. Inte kompetens, inte erfarenhet, inte resurser. Tryggheten att kunna säga något som är fel, fråga något som känns dumt eller behålla en idé som inte är färdig.
That is logical: teams that do not dare to share information do not share it. And teams that do not share information make poorer decisions.
How it manifests — or does not
Low psychological safety does not always look dramatic. It is rarely someone shouting at someone else. It is more subtle: people are quiet in meetings. Questions are not asked. Bad news does not reach the manager. Mistakes are concealed.
High psychological safety looks like the opposite: someone challenges something the manager said and that is welcomed. Someone asks for help and receives it without it being interpreted as weakness. Mistakes are surfaced so that lessons can be drawn from them.
The leader’s role
Psychological safety is almost always created from the top. The leader sets the norm — through how they respond when someone raises a difficult issue, how they handle mistakes, and whether they themselves are willing to show uncertainty.
You cannot read your way to a safe climate. You create it — one conversation at a time.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.