Many leaders are in this dilemma – How to address these new challenges when they don’t have the answers?
Dr Amy Edmondson, Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School talks about the importance of creating an environment of psychological safety and trust in organizations that are serious about success in the modern economy. This is important even more today when businesses are facing serious challenges and leaders don’t have all the answers.
In the absence of an open and safe environment, problems get hidden under the rug. When leaders only encourage compliance and agreement, then it could turn out to be a recipe for disaster. When people are afraid to bring forward their problems or perspectives, it might eventually lead to a catastrophic failure.
On the other hand, responsible leaders empower teams to bring problems to the surface instead of hiding or downplaying them. They create a safe space so that people can highlight potential problems, challenge each other and share ideas. They listen without judgement.
Creating a safe container is even more important today than ever before.
When leading in uncertainty, you may not have all the answers but you can certainly create the right conditions and draw upon the intelligence of your team. When you create a safe container for ideas to flow, solutions emerge.
What can you do to create a safe space for your people to speak openly about the problems and encourage new ideas and perspectives instead of ignoring or dismissing them?
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