Psychological Safety
A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.
Explanation
Google's massive Project Aristotle studied 180 teams and found psychological safety was the single most important factor for team success—more important than individual talent or resources. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson discovered that when people feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and take risks without fear of punishment, teams perform dramatically better.
Real-World Example
Pixar's 'Braintrust': Directors show unfinished films, get harsh feedback, no judgment. Result: 15/16 films were #1. Google: Engineers can say 'I don't know' without shame. Result: They solve harder problems. Hospital: Nurses can challenge doctors. Result: 50% fewer deaths.
How to Apply
Model vulnerability: Share your mistakes first. Respond to bad news with curiosity: 'How can we learn from this?' Not anger. Celebrate intelligent failures. Ask: 'What are we not talking about?' Make dissent safe: 'I need someone to play devil's advocate.' Fire brilliant jerks—they destroy safety.