Unlocking Team Success: The Power of Psychological Safety
Business Consultants, Inc.
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Welcome back to The Global Network Insight, your go-to resource for insights and practices in behavioral change, self-development, communication, relationships, and human dynamics! This is Sayaka Kinashi from the BCon Global Network Team.
As leaders, consultants, trainers, and coaches, you play a pivotal role in fostering behavioral change, better communication, and stronger relationships. Today, we explore the cornerstone of successful teams: psychological safety. I hope these insights will enhance your leadership approach and empower your clients to build thriving, high-performing teams.
What Makes Teams Successful?
Google embarked on a research project, Project Aristotle, to uncover the secrets of effective teams during 2012-2014. Iterum Ltd. (2024) Google’s Project Aristotle https://psychsafety.co.uk/googles-project-aristotle (accessed July 4, 2024)
They studied 250 attributes of their 180 teams to identify patterns and behaviors that led to high performance. The project was named as a tribute to Aristotle's quote, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
Initially, the research hypothesized that a successful team comprised high performers, an experienced manager, and unlimited resources. However, their findings revealed a different picture. Project Aristotle identified five key dynamics of successful teams:
Among these, psychological safety stood out as the cornerstone. Teams thrive when members feel secure sharing ideas, voicing concerns, and taking risks without fear of judgment. This open culture fosters innovation, collaboration, and trust.
Why Psychological Safety Matters More Than Ever
In today’s fast-paced, unpredictable work environment, psychological safety is essential for:
However, creating such an environment is not always straightforward.
In our Community Exchange on psychological safety during the last year, we had privileged to host Charlotte Pontoppidan Wise , an expert in executive leadership and organizational psychology. Her presentation offered powerful insights into how leaders can cultivate psychological safety.
How Leaders Can Build Psychological Safety
Charlotte shared a powerful quote from The CEO Report:
“If you don’t doubt yourself in a constructive, positive way, you are borderline dangerous for your company.”
This emphasizes the need for self-awareness, humility, and the willingness to adapt—a critical foundation for creating trust in teams.
Charlotte highlighted three key skills for leaders, inspired by McKinsey research:
1. Open-Dialogue Skills — Exploring disagreements and addressing tensions constructively to build stronger relationships.
2. Sponsorship — Prioritizing others’ success over personal achievements, fostering a collaborative environment.
3. Situational Humility — Embracing curiosity and a growth mindset to navigate change and encourage team learning.
And underscored the importance of flexibility, stating,
Rigidity = Enemy of teamwork and collaboration.
She also explored the emotions triggered by fears that lead to rigidity, impacting relationships, with insights from The Human Element (THE) method. Leaders who are self-aware, adaptable, and open to change inspire their teams to thrive.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Explore how psychological safety drives team success and productivity by downloading our eBook, Feeling Safe at Work. It provides actionable strategies to help leaders empower their teams while maintaining accountability.
Together, we can create teams that excel through trust, innovation, and results.
Follow us to stay informed about our community gathering, Global Community Exchange, which happens once every two months, where education, engagement, and promotion of our collective expertise drive meaningful change.