What happens when failure feels personal, and what becomes possible when a team feels safe? In this episode of The Soulfire Sessions, Alex and Christina are joined by Dr. Matt Daniel to explore psychological safety and why it’s one of the most powerful drivers of collaboration, innovation, and high-performing teams.

Through real stories and practical insight, Matt unpacks what psychological safety is (and isn’t), how self-silencing signals an unsafe environment, and why failure lands so differently depending on team culture. Together, they discuss how unsafe teams turn mistakes into character judgments, while safe teams transform failure into shared learning, momentum, and creative problem-solving. The conversation also offers guidance for leaders looking to build a “bubble” of safety within unhealthy organizations, strategies for coping when leaving isn’t an option, and what it truly takes to repair trust once psychological safety has been broken. 

Takeaways

~ In an unsafe environment, failure can feel like a personal indictment.
~ Psychological safety makes it easier to share mistakes without fear of humiliation.
~ Shared failures often lead to collaborative problem-solving and better ideas.
~ Safe teams treat failure as temporary—and keep moving forward.
~ Leaders shape team climate through modeling, coaching, and follow-through.
~ Repair requires consistent positive interactions over time, not a one-time apology.
~ Psychological safety fuels the brave work that bold teams need to innovate.

Connect with Matt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjdaniel/
Free ACU Webinar Series, register here!
If your organization is interested in partnering with ACU to provide your employees with tuition discounts and benefits, email Matt at [email protected]

Connect with The SoulFire Collective

Website: thesoulfire.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoulfireco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577017224180
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-soulfire-collective/

Chapters

00:00 — Failure, Safety, and Team Culture
00:55 — Welcome to The Soulfire Sessions
01:56 — Meet Dr. Matt Daniel
03:33 — How Psychological Safety Gets Destroyed
06:34 — What Is Psychological Safety?
09:50 — Signs of an Unsafe Environment
10:27 — Is It Just a Bad Manager… or Something More?
11:22 — Courage, Silence, and Speaking Up
14:54 — When Leaders Don’t Mean Harm
16:27 — Why Psychological Safety Matters for Business
18:57 — Encouraging Quiet Voices on the Team
19:53 — Failure, Fast Learning, and Innovation
20:39 — Failure as a Game, Not a Judgment
22:42 — Coping in an Unsafe Workplace
25:24 — Purpose as a Buffer Against Toxicity
26:08 — Can Psychological Safety Be Repaired?
29:41 — The Power of Positive Interactions
30:19 — Creating a “Bubble” of Safety
32:26 — Reflections on Leadership Responsibility
35:21 — What Sets Your Soul on Fire?
38:02 — Finding Your Own Soul Fire
42:36 — Free Webinar Series
43:45 — Where to Find SoulFire
 

Keywords

Psychological safety, courage, brave work, bold teams, leadership, failure, collaboration, innovation, team dynamics, communication, toxic workplace, resilience, employee engagement, positive leadership, upward spiral