Lead With IntentSample

2. Principle - Practice - Impact on Culture

Psychological Safety - Openness - Transparency

Have you ever been in a meeting where the truth is apparent to everyone, yet nobody dares to speak it? Why is that? According to Prof Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School, this phenomenon is that we are continually assessing our interpersonal risk at work. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of a leader who is a follower of Jesus is to create Psychological Safety. We have to create a space where people do not fear retaliation if they speak up. Otherwise, you will never hear the truth.

Look at how Jesus talks about this in Matthew 20: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you."

To create Psychological Safety, you need to practice openness. Openness means I allow people to speak their minds without retaliation. I do not shoot the messenger if I don't like the message. If you keep up with this practice of openness, you will establish a culture of transparency, where people don't need to hide things away. Soon you will hear the truth of what is really happening in your organization.