logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
9m 59s

What Is Psychological Safety, Really?

Harvard Business Review
About this episode

You’re probably familiar with the term “psychological safety.” But do you know what it really means?

HBR contributing editor and workplace conflict expert Amy Gallo says both the idea and the value of psychological safety are commonly misunderstood. Gallo cohosts HBR’s Women at Work podcast, and her most recent book is Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People).

In this episode, you’ll learn how to define psychological safety, how to figure out if your team has it, and what to do if it doesn’t.

Key episode topics include: leadership, organizational culture, psychology, teams, leading teams, psychological safety, emotional intelligence.

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

· Watch the original HBR Guide episode: What Is Psychological Safety? (2023)

· Find more episodes of the HBR Guide series on YouTube.

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org.

Up next
Yesterday
How to Succeed in Your Career When Change Is a Constant
Disruption and transformation are the new normal in nearly every industry. So how do you stay ahead of the curve? Over the past four decades, Bonnie Hammer successfully adapted to massive changes in the media industry, rising from production assistant to leadership roles in broad ... Show More
29m 28s
Jul 2
The Right Way to Step Down as CEO
When news breaks of a CEO succession, much of the attention is given to the new leader and how they will change the company. But new research shows that the leave-taking process of the outgoing chief executive is often mishandled, with negative impacts on succession and the organ ... Show More
28m 43s
Jun 25
Why Profits Follow Purpose
This month, we're highlighting some of the best conversations from the 2025 HBR Leadership Summit held in April. In today’s episode, Anish Shah, CEO of Mahindra Group, one of India's largest and most prominent conglomerates, discusses the importance of purpose in driving profit. ... Show More
30m 9s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
Psychological Safety
This month’s coaching conversation explores how leaders can foster psychological safety. Teams high in both safety and accountability enter a “Learning Zone” where high performance follows naturally. In this month’s conversation, Tom and his client mentioned “The Checklist Manife ... Show More
25m 44s
Apr 25
#411 — The Victimhood Pandemic
Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about Scott’s new book, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. They discuss victimhood culture, narcissism and psychopathy, the personality traits of successful individuals, the dark tri ... Show More
31m 12s
Oct 2024
What is an Assistant Psychologist and what do they do?
Show Notes for The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast Episode 148: What is an Assistant Psychologist and What do they do? In this episode of the Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Marianne Trent is joined by assistant psychologist Luke Meakin to discuss the often ambiguous role of an ... Show More
49m 19s
Oct 2024
Podcast 212: Creating a culture of psychological safety at work
It’s widely recognised that developing a psychologically safe working environment can significantly enhance both individual and organisational performance. However, while organisations seek to reap these benefits in the long term, the immediate challenge is to cultivate a culture ... Show More
36m 18s
Sep 2024
Psychological Safety in the Workplace: Session 274 with John Austin
Dr. John Austin returns to the show to discuss a topic that we touched on briefly back in Session 230: Psychological Safety. While the idea of Psychological Safety might seem overly conceptual in nature, John breaks down what he thinks about it in very easily understood and measu ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2024
How to Fail Right
We all know Silicon Valley’s mantra: fail fast, fail often. But when is it OK to fail in the real world? Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson says it depends on how and why you fail. She’s an expert on psychological safety and the author of the book, Right Kind of Wron ... Show More
36m 34s
May 21
Stanford Psychologist: The #1 Psychological Skill To Master The Art of Influence & Transform Your Relationships
Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!What if the key to deeper connections isn't in what you say, but in how you listen? Dr. Caroline Fleck, licensed psychologist and Stanford instructor, reveals the transformative power of vali ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2024
Imposter Syndrome: Why You Feel Like a Fraud (And How to Overcome It)
In this episode of the Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Marianne Trent dives deep into the concept of imposter syndrome. She explores why so many of us, despite our achievements, feel like we don't belong and are on the verge of being "found out." Dr. Trent breaks down the psyc ... Show More
16m 24s
Dec 2024
Harvard Psychologist Shares 6 Words That Will Change Your Family
This episode will change the way you think about every relationship in your life. Today, Harvard’s Dr. Stuart Ablon is distilling 30 years of behavior change research into one hour. Dr. Ablon is the Founder and Director of Think: Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, which focu ... Show More
1h 33m
Dec 2024
Who Is Leading Your Inner Team?
In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the human brain. We like to think that we’re rational beings who happen to have feelings. In actuality, we’re emotional beings who happen to think. This week, I’m talking with Carlos Davidovich, an executive coach and ... Show More
37m 16s