Creating Psychological Safety
A weekly reflection for coaches navigating the human side of performance.
Principle: Trust Before Control
Once we’ve recruited the right people, our primary job as coaches and leaders is no longer control, it’s trust.
High-performance environments are often built on certainty through systems, structures, playbooks, and processes. Those things matter. But when control becomes the default response to pressure, creativity narrows and learning slows. People stop bringing ideas. They stop taking risks. They start playing not to lose.
Trust changes that dynamic.
When athletes, coaches, or staff feel trusted, they’re more willing to experiment, to speak up, and to try things that might not work the first time. That willingness is where innovation lives. It’s where growth happens. And it’s where teams gain an edge over opponents who are afraid to deviate from the script.
Perspective: Why Fear Kills Learning
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson’s research shows that psychological safety, which she defines as the shared belief that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks, directly enables learning behaviors in teams. In her work, she explains that when team members fear negative judgment or repercussions, they are less willing to speak up, ask questions, or report errors all of which are behaviors that are essential for team learning.
Edmondson defines psychological safety as a climate where people feel comfortable being themselves and taking risks without fear of humiliation or punishment. This reduces “learning anxiety” and allows teams to engage in reflective, adaptive learning processes rather than defensive or siloed work.
Story:
In the 2024 Women’s Boat Race, the Cambridge University women’s rowing team intentionally shifted away from a traditional harsh, blame-focused culture toward one that emphasized support, respect, and mutual trust.
Under coach Paddy Ryan, the team moved past the conventional “win-at-all-costs” mentality and instead encouraged openness, risk-taking, and learning from mistakes without fear of recrimination. Rather than policing errors, the culture was designed so athletes felt safe to try, fail, and improve — knowing they would be supported, not punished.
The result? Cambridge won the Boat Race, and this victory was widely framed not just as a physical triumph, but as a triumph of culture and psychological safety. The crew’s athletes specifically noted that being able to make mistakes and push their limits without fear helped them perform freely and cohesively under pressure.
Question:
Where might more safety unlock better performance for your team?
Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Caleb