I once worked with a leader who didn’t believe psychological safety was something you deliberately create. In their view, it emerged over time through unfiltered communication, which would eventually build trust. I saw it differently: unfiltered communication doesn’t necessarily create safety; it reveals whether safety already exists.
Few people felt able to have candid conversations with this leader. That experience made me reflect on what enables openness at work. How much is shaped by the environment, and how much comes from within the individual?
When people hesitate, withdraw or carefully manage their words, they may be responding to a perceived risk in the environment. At the same time, each person brings their own confidence, sense of internal safety and willingness to engage, even when conditions aren’t perfect. Both influence the conversation, but they do not carry equal weight.
Psychological safety is experienced internally, yet shaped by the environment. Leaders, by virtue of their power, have a greater influence on that environment. How they listen, respond to disagreement and handle mistakes helps people judge whether speaking openly is safe—and whether their contribution will be valued.
As AI makes knowledge more accessible, leadership increasingly involves creating the conditions for others to think, contribute and challenge. Curiosity, empathy, trust, appreciation and accountability become visible through everyday interactions. Leaders control the signals they send, and people respond to those signals.
Meaningful conversations require both sides to participate openly. They also require confidence that what is said can be received, considered and built upon safely. A leader’s willingness to invite candour matters, but so does their response when someone offers it.
Before your next conversation, consider the outcome you want to create, the signals you are sending through how you show up and the assumptions you may be making. These questions can help you recognise how your behaviour shapes the space available for someone else to speak.
Psychological safety isn’t owned by one person, but the person with power has a particular responsibility to signal it.