Psychological Safety: The Invisible Key Behind High-Performing Teams (Without Useless Meetings)

Natalia Alcaide
Jul 17, 2025
3 min read

If no one on your team asks questions, expresses doubts, or dares to say, “I think this isn’t working,” the problem isn’t motivation or lack of energy. It’s psychological safety.

This concept — which may sound “soft” but has a massive impact on results — was defined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson as “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” In other words, an environment where people can be themselves without fear of seeming incompetent, being judged, or left out.

Project Aristotle: The Finding That Changed Everything at Google

In 2012, Google launched an internal investigation called Project Aristotle. They wanted to understand why some teams consistently performed better than others. After analyzing over 180 teams over three years, they discovered that the key wasn’t talent. Or experience. Or how many MBAs the team had.

It was psychological safety. The single consistent factor across all high-performing teams.

When people feel safe to speak freely, something powerful happens:

They share ideas before they’re fully polished.
They admit mistakes.
They ask what they don’t understand.
They collaborate better.

When fear takes over, silence settles in. And with silence, mediocrity stays.

Why Is Psychological Safety So Important?

Because it releases the energy that would otherwise be used to self-protect.

In teams with low psychological safety, you see things like:

No one says what they really think.
No one questions poor decisions.
Good ideas stay buried.
Everyone pretends things are fine while the ship is sinking.

But in a safe environment, people take more risks, commit more deeply, and grow faster.

What does Data Says about Psychological Safety

Here is some data:

In companies with high psychological safety, employees are 50% more productive and report 74% less stress (Paul J. Zak, Harvard Business Review, 2017).
Teams with strong safety cultures innovate more and retain talent better (Amy Edmondson, 2019).
The brain works better: safety activates the reward system; fear activates threat responses (SCARF Model, David Rock, 2008).

Psychological Safety Isn’t Just a Buzzword — It’s Built Day by Day

Saying “you can speak up here” is useless if no one dares to do so. Psychological safety is built through consistent actions, not empty slogans.

And it starts with guess who? The leader. That´s you!! A leader who listens, thanks people for their input, admits mistakes, and asks instead of imposing — builds trust. One who ridicules, dismisses, or ignores input — even unintentionally — plants fear.

You can start with small actions:Thank every contribution, even when not implemented.Share your own mistakes.Ask for real feedback (not disguised validation).Give quieter voices other ways to share (tools, time, channels).Listen to understand, not to correct.

Safety, Yes — But Not Endless Meetings

Encouraging participation doesn’t mean filling the calendar with meetings where nothing happens.

Meetings shouldn’t be performance stages, but tools for connection, clarity, and action. If you only use them to validate decisions you’ve already made, people will notice. And they’ll stop speaking up.

How to Make Meetings Spaces of Real Safety

Define the purpose before the meeting. What are we meeting for? I like to give 24 hours’ notice — people love knowing how their time will be used!
Open with real questions. “What are we missing?” is better than “Is everything clear?”
Speak last. As the CEO, don’t set the tone from the start.
Distribute the airtime. Don’t let the same voices dominate. Help the quieter or non-native speakers share ideas in other ways too.
Capture what comes up. Say what will happen with each idea — even if it’s “not now.” And rotate who takes notes and shares them.
Close with clear commitments. Who does what? When? How do we follow up?

A well-run meeting isn’t a waste of time — it’s an act of collective leadership.

What matters most isn’t having all the answers.It’s showing that every idea was heard and respected.

The Big Question for Every Leader

Do people around me feel safe enough to tell me what they really think?

If the answer is no, it won’t matter how many leadership workshops you attend or how many values you stick on the wall.

Without psychological safety, there’s no trust.Without trust, there’s no team.And without a team… you’re alone with your agenda.