Why Your 'Harmonious' Team Is Failing

Teams often confuse psychological safety with everyone getting along perfectly. I see leaders bragging about teams where nobody ever raises their voice, where meetings wrap up with everyone nodding along, and where disagreements are rare. Some even think their team is “psychologically safe” because nobody ever argues. But here’s the truth: real psychological safety isn’t about avoiding conflict. It’s about creating an environment where challenging ideas makes the team stronger, not weaker. Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School defines psychological safety as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.” Again, it’s not about avoiding (sometimes, heated) discussions at all—it’s about creating a space where: You can say “I think that’s wrong” without worrying about getting sidelined Ideas get challenged based on what they are, not who said them People can admit when they screw up and learn from it Differen ... Read full article.