The quiet strength of courageous teams
Courageous teams are not recognized by the loudest voices—but by the moments when someone dares to open up. Because psychological safety is the quiet ground on which trust grows—and from which strong, courageous teams emerge.
Courage is rarely a loud act. It often begins in a quiet moment—when someone dares to be honest.
A doubt is voiced. An idea is shared. A mistake is admitted.
Such moments may seem insignificant. But they are crucial. Because where people remain silent, potential is lost.
In our age of constant change, all organizations talk about innovation. But too few create the conditions under which it can truly grow and flourish. Because innovation needs more than just good ideas.
But what exactly? That's what tech giant Google wondered. So it researched what makes its most successful teams tick. The result was surprising: it wasn't structures, efficiency, or expertise that made the decisive difference. It was psychological safety—the ability to say what you think without fear of ridicule, blame, or punishment. Because people who feel safe contribute. They say what they think. And thus become the engines that drive innovation. (Source: Google Project Aristotle (2015): What makes a team effective at Google?)
"Psychological safety is the foundation for peak performance—not its byproduct."
– Amy Edmondson, The Fearless Organization (2018)
A culture of error instead of assigning blame
Harvard professor Amy Edmonson coined the term "psychological safety" in the 1990s. Her studies showed that teams that feel safe report more mistakes, but also achieve better results in the long term.
Sounds like a contradiction? Far from it. Because these teams talk to each other, learn from each other, and thus help each other to avoid mistakes in the future.
This attitude changes everything. Because it shifts the focus from blame to responsibility. From fear to openness. This is how trust develops—and, in turn, courage.
Leadership means enabling courage
Admittedly, psychological safety does not arise overnight, somehow by itself. It is the result of a consciously designed culture that has been built up with a great deal of tact and sensitivity. But you can lay the foundation today. Because that creates a climate in which learning is more important than being right. And that is exactly where innovation begins: in the space between experimentation and insight.
Three steps to psychological safety
1. Actively invite others to share their perspectives.
As a leader, do you always have all the answers? Excellent. Even better: ask your team openly what you may have overlooked. Or where obstacles may be lurking. And work together to find a way to overcome them. This makes participation a matter of course—not a risk.
2. Share your own insecurities.
No one knows everything. When you admit this, you signal: "That's okay." At the same time, you empower your individual team members to play to their individual strengths. This not only creates a level playing field, but also moments of success for the individual. And—more importantly—learning effects for the group.
3. Show your appreciation.
It's not just about praise—it's about giving your team and their questions the attention they deserve. A sincere inquiry, an honest "Thank you for bringing that up," or a genuine "That's interesting, I've never thought of it that way!" is more encouraging than any motivational speech.
The paradox of courage
Many managers still believe that psychological safety makes teams "soft." The opposite is true. Feeling secure does not mean that everyone always has to be nice to each other. Rather, it means that people can be honest—including about their weaknesses, questions, and doubts.
In such teams, communication is clearer, discussions are more intense, and questions are asked more frequently. Here, a sentence such as "I don't understand why we're doing it this way" triggers curiosity: Where is the problem? Is there a better way? What can we optimize?
In psychologically insecure teams, such a question is met with awkward silence at best—and resentment at worst. It is these micro-moments that determine long-term success. They determine whether knowledge is shared, ideas are expressed, and problems are solved.
A nice side effect: psychological safety is a silent multiplier. Because when people feel that they are being listened to, they start to talk—but also to listen themselves.
