Amy Edmondson: Psychological Safety is the Foundation

Amy Edmondson is a Harvard Business School professor, researcher, and author best known for her work on psychological safety, team learning, and organizational culture. She has spent decades studying why some teams learn, adapt, and perform better than others — especially in high-stakes environments like healthcare, aviation, and business.

Edmondson argues that psychological safety is the foundation of a healthy culture, and culture is not about being nice or comfortable — it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up.

Edmondson says psychological safety is: “A shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” In weak cultures, people stay quiet to protect themselves. In strong cultures, people speak up to protect the team and the mission.

Psychological safety does not mean lowering expectations. Edmondson is clear: the best cultures pair clear standards and accountability with respect, curiosity, and learning. 

Great leaders know that when someone speaks up or makes a mistake, challenges an idea, or brings bad news, the response sends a louder message than any value statement.

I think of the saying, “If you want to go fast, go yourself. If you want to go fast, go with a team.” I want to go far and fast, so I try to create psychological safety as early as possible, and I try to protect that safety every step of the way.

Amy Edmondson consistently points to three leader behaviors that create psychological safety. 

1. Frame the work as a learning problem

Leaders set the tone by making it clear that the work is complex, uncertain, and requires learning—not perfection. When people believe mistakes are part of learning, they’re more willing to speak up early—before problems grow.

• Say things like: “We don’t have all the answers,” or “We’re going to learn our way forward.”

• This reduces fear of being wrong and invites contribution.

2. Acknowledge your own fallibility

Leaders openly admit they don’t know everything and that they, too, will make mistakes. If the leader isn’t pretending to be perfect, no one else feels they have to.

• Examples: “I might be missing something,” or “I could be wrong—what do you see?”

• This models humility and lowers the interpersonal risk for others.

3. Model curiosity and ask genuine questions

Psychological safety grows when leaders actively seek input and listen without defensiveness. People learn quickly whether questions are real or performative. Genuine curiosity builds trust.

• Ask open questions: “What concerns you?” “What are we not talking about?”

• Respond with interest, not judgment—especially to bad news.

The best teams have great leadership who creates, develops, and sustains a great culture, and psychological safety is one of the foundations to doing so.