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🛡️ What Psychological Safety Really Means

LIP #276
Thursday

What Psychological Safety Actually Means

Most people think psychological safety means others should make them feel safe and comfortable. Like a giant ball pit where nothing can hurt you. But that is not how the real world works.

The real meaning: Making it easy for others to give you honest feedback.

Behaviors that block honest feedback

  • Looking angry or unapproachable
  • Seeming fragile, like you might break
  • Making jokes when things get serious
  • Sharing in ways that make people feel sorry for you

These are blind spots because nobody has told you about them yet.

Your job is not to wait for others to make you feel safe. Your job is to make it safe for them to be honest with you.

Once you create safety for others, they naturally give it back to you.

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Leadership in Practice #277 Thursday, April 02, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST