Senior leaders are working in environments where the margin for error feels tight. With rapid workplace and societal developments, technological advancements, and frequently stretched targets, the need for change can feel constant.
In this environment, psychological safety can sometimes be considered a “nice-to-have” culture initiative to revisit when time allows. I think this is a mistake.
At MHFA England, we’ve been looking closely at the relationship between psychological safety and performance. Our most recent research found that 15% of UK employees say they’ve made preventable mistakes because they felt unable to raise a concern. More than a third don’t feel safe asking for help.
Any leader should take note of these figures.
When someone spots a flaw but keeps quiet, that silence has consequences. When a team member feels unsure but doesn’t raise a query, the cost multiplies. These moments aren’t always reflected in dashboards tomorrow, but they often appear later as disengagement, missed targets, and preventable mistakes or errors.
The highest-performing teams I encounter aren’t defined by harmony, but by honesty and openness. People are prepared to say, “I don’t agree,” or “I’m not sure this will work,” without fear of the personal cost. This doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a function of leadership behaviour.
At MHFA England, we approach psychological safety through the lens of workplace mental health. When people don’t feel safe to raise concerns, stress builds quietly. Energy is spent managing perception rather than improving outcomes. Psychological safety sits at the intersection of employee mental health and organisational results.
There’s often a mismatch between intention and impact. Many senior leaders genuinely believe they’re approachable because they encourage input or invite challenge. But hierarchy carries weight. People watch closely how disagreement is handled. They notice whether the person who speaks up is thanked, ignored, or subtly side-lined. Culture is shaped in these small moments.
One of the simplest shifts I’ve seen make a difference is when leaders acknowledge their own uncertainty. Saying “I may have missed something” changes the atmosphere of a room, making it easier for someone else to add their thoughts.
How leaders respond to bad news is also important. If a mistake is met with visible frustration, people quickly learn to stay silent rather than speak openly. A calm response signals that raising a risk is part of doing the job well.
It requires clarity, too. If speaking up is genuinely expected, that expectation needs to be named. In some organisations, challenge is still viewed as disruption rather than contribution. Over time, that undermines learning and performance.
Manager capability sits at the centre of this. Managers are the translators of culture. However, many tell us they feel underprepared to navigate conversations about performance and wellbeing together. Without that confidence, avoidance creeps in – and silence comes with it.
That pressure is even more relevant as organisations integrate artificial intelligence and new technologies into daily operations. Human judgement is the safety net. This relies on people feeling able to question outputs, flag inconsistencies, experiment, and admit uncertainty early.
Psychological safety, in my experience, has less to do with comfort and more to do with trust. Trust that voicing a concern won’t damage your standing. Trust that seeking help won’t come back to bite you. Trust that your input is valued more than your status.
Through our My Whole Self campaign, culminating on My Whole Self Day on Tuesday 10 March, we’re encouraging organisations to regard psychological safety as a foundation for sustained performance. Our resources are free, evidence-based, and designed to help leaders think about the signals they send every day.
For leaders wondering where to start, a good first step is to look closely at how challenge is handled in your organisation. When a mistake is raised, is the first response curiosity or blame? Those small interactions have far more influence on your culture than strategy documents.
Most leaders I speak to care deeply about people and performance. The challenge is whether the culture they’ve created allows people to contribute to it fully.
Silence is rarely neutral. It has cost. Creating a climate where people feel safe to speak their minds, even when it’s uncomfortable, may be one of the most commercially astute leadership decisions available right now.
Sarah McIntosh is CEO of Mental Health First Aid England.
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