Episode Summary:

How can you create an environment where your team feels safe to speak their minds without fear of judgment or reprisal? In this episode, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton are joined by Gary Keogh, an expert in psychological safety and a former corporate leader turned coach. Together, they dive into why fostering openness in teams is more than just a buzzword—it's the secret sauce for innovation, collaboration, and performance.

Gary shares eye-opening stories, practical examples, and proven methods to build trust within teams. Learn how even small behaviors like showing vulnerability, demonstrating curiosity, and expressing appreciation can unlock untapped potential in your organization.

If you're a leader looking to bring out the best in your team—or just curious about why "none of us are as clever as all of us"—this episode is packed with actionable insights you can't afford to miss.

Quote of the Episode

The moment you create a space where everyone feels safe to contribute, that's when the magic happens." — Gary Keogh

Key Takeaways:

1. Learn what it really means to create a workplace where people feel safe and eager to speak openly.

2. It's not about coddling your team or avoiding accountability.

3. Discover how leadership ego, self-censorship, and rigid cultural norms stifle collaboration—and what you can do about it.

4. Three practical ways to foster psychological safety: show vulnerability, practice curiosity, and express appreciation.

5. The Jeff Bezos Approach: Find out why Amazon's founder speaks last in meetings and seeks out junior team members' perspectives first

Resources Mentioned

Contact Gary Keogh: http://linkedin.com/in/gkeogh

Website: https://gkexeccoaching.com/

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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