Unveiling the Path to Greatness: The Upgraded Safe to Great Teams Assessment

How to measure and develop psychological safety in a leadership team who wants to grow?

As I put the finishing touches on the upgraded Safe to Great Teams assessment for a leadership team spanning the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Working with teams across these diverse regions brings unique challenges, but it also provides unparalleled opportunities to transform team dynamics and drive high performance.

On Thursday, I will present not just a detailed snapshot of where they are right now but also a clear, actionable path forward.

Psychological Safety: The Foundation, Not the Finish Line

When I first met this leadership team, their concerns were palpable: a lack of openness, fear of disclosure, and reluctance to challenge one another.

These are common issues in many teams, especially those spread across different cultures and regions. But for this team, these concerns were not just theoretical—they were daily barriers that prevented them from reaching their full potential.

Psychological safety, often misunderstood, is not just about creating a feel-good environment. It is about setting the stage where team members can speak their minds, take risks, and engage in constructive conflict without fear of retribution.

It’s the essential foundation upon which all other team dynamics are built. However, psychological safety is just the beginning; as Amy Edmondson has argued, it is the condition that enables teams to aspire to something far greater: sustained high performance, breakthrough innovation, and agility in the face of change.

Going Beyond Psychological Safety with Safe to Great Teams Assessment

The upgraded Safe to Great Teams assessment goes far beyond traditional approaches by diving deep into the micro-behaviors that shape a team’s culture. With 60 protective mindset items and 36 growth mindset items, this tool doesn’t just scratch the surface; it uncovers the hidden dynamics that influence every interaction.

Protective Mindsets: These are the subtle yet powerful behaviors that undermine psychological safety, such as withholding feedback, avoiding conflict, or suppressing personal opinions to fit in.

The assessment reveals how these behaviors create barriers to openness and trust, stifling innovation and collaboration.

Growth Mindsets: On the flip side, the tool highlights the behaviors that foster safety, creativity, and effectiveness—behaviors like expressing independent viewpoints, constructively challenging ideas, and sharing honest feedback. These growth mindset behaviors are the real drivers of high performance and the keys to unlocking a team’s potential.

Measuring What Really Matters: Micro-Behavioral Insights

One of the most exciting features of the upgraded assessment is its ability to measure at the micro-behavioral level what is really going on within the team. It’s not just about broad strokes like “we need more feedback” or “we need better communication.”

Instead, it’s about pinpointing specific behaviors: who is speaking up, who is staying silent, who is engaging in office politics, and who is consistently bringing energy and positivity to the table.

This level of insight provides a detailed picture of the team’s current state. For this leadership team, it means understanding not just their collective strengths and weaknesses but also identifying individual behaviors that contribute to—or detract from—their overall effectiveness. It’s the kind of data that turns vague concerns into concrete action plans.

Mapping the Path Forward: From Safety to Greatness

When I present the findings on Thursday, I won’t just be showing them where they stand. I’ll be outlining the best way forward, tailored specifically to their context and challenges. The Safe to Great Teams assessment doesn’t stop at diagnosing the problem—it provides a roadmap for development.

The tool’s unique mapping to the 6 stages of psychological safety offers clear guidance on how to progress from basic safety needs, like Belonging and Shared Path, to the highest levels of team dynamics: Freedom to Explore and Freedom to Challenge.

These final stages are where the magic happens—where teams move from just being safe to being exceptional, pushing boundaries, embracing change, and driving innovation.

The Real Goals: High Performance, Innovation, and Agility

At the end of the day, psychological safety is not the ultimate goal; it’s the enabler. The true objectives for any team, especially a high-stakes leadership team like this one, are high performance, quality, innovation, and agility.

That's why I took Carol Dweck Growth mindset concept and turned it into a concept for leadership, team and organizational development.

These are the benchmarks of greatness, and they cannot be achieved without first establishing a solid foundation of psychological safety.

With the upgraded Safe to Great Teams assessment, I can provide this leadership team with the precise insights they need to transform their culture. We’ll be tackling their initial concerns head-on, not just with general advice but with actionable, behavior-specific feedback that drives real change.

A Powerful Tool for Diverse Teams

For teams spread across the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa, the need for clear, precise, and culturally adaptable tools is critical. The Safe to Great Teams assessment is designed to respect these regional differences while providing universal insights into what makes a team truly great.

Whether you are leading a local team or managing complex, cross-regional dynamics, this tool equips you with the data and strategies needed to foster a culture of safety and growth.

Looking Ahead: From Feedback to Greatness

I am excited to see how this team will evolve as they embrace the insights and recommendations from the Safe to Great Teams assessment.

For any team ready to get serious about growth, this tool offers not just a mirror reflecting current realities but a map pointing the way to a future of high performance, innovation, and agile responsiveness.

The journey from safety to greatness starts here, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Let’s get serious about creating great teams. The possibilities are endless when you have the right tools and the right mindset.

#psychologicalsafety #growthmindset #safe2great Skip Bowman