Host Leslie Szymborski and guest Cesar Flores, CEO of Coach What Matters, discuss the concept of psychological safety and its vital role in business success, innovation, and high-performing organizations. The episode begins by defining psychological safety, a term pioneered by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, as a shared belief among team members that the team environment is safe for taking interpersonal risks. It's a climate of mutual trust and respect where individuals feel comfortable being themselves, continuously learning, and openly discussing mistakes.

Key Takeaways:

• The Current State of Psychological Safety: A Gallup poll revealed that only 28% of US employees in 2025 strongly agreed their opinions count at work, a slight decrease from 20174. This highlights the ongoing struggle leaders face in balancing a supportive environment with traditional command-and-control methods.
• Defining Psychological Safety in Practice: Flores defines it as an environment where employees can bring their "best self to work" and feel confident in taking risks, making mistakes, and challenging ideas. However, this does not mean "anything goes". It is not a license for oversharing, a conflict-free zone, or a guarantee that one's ideas will always win. Instead, it is a balance of healthy discussion, sharing, and listening.
• The Role of Leadership: Leaders are responsible for setting the tone for the entire employee experience, starting from the pre-interview process. They must be willing to balance three key concepts: psychological safety, emotional intelligence (self-awareness and building relationships), and compassionate candor (being honest with employees about performance in a non-ambiguous way).
• Great Teams vs. Flawless Teams: The most effective teams aren't those that make the fewest mistakes, but rather those that are most willing to discuss them and learn from them. Conversely, a team that rarely shows mistakes might be too comfortable, not growing, or led by a strong personality who prevents new challenges. Leaders should allow teams to "self-heal" from within rather than intervening immediately, which can be detrimental.

Tune in to learn more about how to cultivate a psychologically safe workplace that fosters growth, trust, and high performance.