Facilitation · Ongoing application; 1-2 hour training session
Core Behaviors for Psychologically Safe Leadership
A set of three actionable leadership behaviors designed to reduce the interpersonal risk of speaking up. These behaviors shift the group focus from 'execution-only' to 'continuous learning.'
When to use Core Behaviors for Psychologically Safe Leadership
During manager training, facilitator onboarding, or when launching a complex project with high uncertainty.
How Core Behaviors for Psychologically Safe Leadership works
Facilitators should model these behaviors throughout a session to set the tone. Instructional designers can build 'Curiosity Sprints' or 'Failure Debriefs' into the curriculum to practice these behaviors.
Phases of Core Behaviors for Psychologically Safe Leadership
- Frame work as a learning problem: Make clear that the work is uncertain and interdependent, so everyone's input is needed. The leader or facilitator opens by naming what is unknown and explicitly asking for ideas, concerns and dissent.
- Acknowledge own fallibility: The leader says openly that they may miss things and need to hear from others. In a session this sounds like 'I may be wrong, tell me what you see', which lowers the risk of speaking up.
- Model curiosity by asking questions: Ask genuine, open questions that create a need for voice. The facilitator asks what others are seeing, listens without judging and thanks people for raising problems or bad news.
Key principles
- Leaders must proactively invite input to overcome the natural instinct to stay silent
- Vulnerability from the leader signals safety to the group
- Questions are more effective than directives for building engagement
Best for
- Leadership Development
- Soft Skills Training
- Facilitator Competency
Considerations
- Requires a high degree of emotional intelligence from the leader
- Can be difficult to implement in cultures that traditionally punish mistakes
Attribution & sources
Developed by Amy Edmondson, 2018
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