Boost Team Performance by Prioritising Trust and Safety

Building and leading high performing teams is often vital for organisational success.  Leaders push for bigger goals, faster innovation, and stronger collaboration. But underneath all that drive often lies a critical element that is too often ignored: trust. And at the heart of trust lies psychological safety. 

Psychological safety is about creating an environment where individuals feel secure in expressing themselves without fear of embarrassment, rejection, or punishment. It’s a leadership practice that might sound simple on paper, yet its absence in the workplace can lead to underperforming teams, missed opportunities, and increased turnover. It’s clear that for any organisation to achieve high performance, prioritising psychological safety is non-negotiable.

Trust Begins With Psychological Safety

Trust in teams doesn’t just emerge; it’s built through consistent efforts to foster safety and mutual respect. A psychologically safe team is one where individuals feel valued for their contributions, even when they challenge ideas, admit errors, or suggest unconventional solutions. 

Think back to any meeting where no one wanted to raise a concern about a risky strategy or speak up about a failing project. That silence? It’s often rooted in fear, not trust. Psychological safety shifts these dynamics. When it’s used as a leadership framework, employees are more likely to collaborate meaningfully, take initiative, and commit to shared goals.

Leaders, particularly those investing in leadership development, must understand that trust and psychological safety are deeply intertwined. A team without psychological safety is unlikely to trust its members or leaders. The result is a hesitant, disjointed group unable to rise to its potential. 

High Performance Requires Safe Teams 

The link between psychological safety and team performance is undeniable. Google’s famous study, Project Aristotle, found that psychological safety was the most important factor for high performing teams; even more significant than having a diverse skill set or clear roles. 

Why is this? Because when team members feel safe, they feel (and act) empowered. They question assumptions, experiment freely, and self-correct without rigid oversight. Mistakes become learning opportunities, not black marks on their record. 

Take high-pressure industries such as healthcare or aviation as examples. Teams with high psychological safety report more errors, not because they make more mistakes, but because they feel safe admitting errors quickly. This transparency results in faster resolutions and fewer significant problems down the line, ultimately improving outcomes and saving lives.

For organisations, the takeaway is clear. Focusing solely on tools, processes, or performance metrics won’t foster sustained results. Developing leadership skills that centre on creating safe spaces and open communication will. High performance team training builds trust that increases employee engagement, ensuring they deliver higher levels of customer service to meet and exceed the expectations of your clients. Get insights from our High Performing Teams Scorecard on the effectiveness of your team.

Your Role as a Leader

If prioritising psychological safety isn’t already on your leadership radar, it’s time to act. But change won’t happen organically. Leaders must deliberately cultivate environments that create and sustain safety while building trust. Fortunately, there are actionable strategies you can take today. 

1. Model Vulnerability 

Leaders set the tone. Share your own challenges and mistakes with your team; this demonstrates that it’s okay to be imperfect. Simple statements like “I don’t have all the answers” or “I might be wrong, what do you think?” create a ripple effect of openness. 

2. Encourage Voices, Not Echoes 

Good leaders ensure every team member has a voice, not just the loudest or most senior contributors. Actively invite quieter members to share their perspectives privately if public speaking is difficult for them and acknowledge their contributions, when appropriate, in broader settings.

3. Respond Without Judgement 

A leader’s reaction can make or break psychological safety. When faced with feedback or even disagreement, avoid defensiveness. Instead, thank team members for their input, and explore it collaboratively. 

4. Recognise Effort, Not Just Outcomes 

Acknowledging successes is important, but recognising the hard work, creativity, and experimentation behind those successes is even more critical. This builds confidence among team members and reinforces a culture of growth. 

5. Provide and Seek Feedback Regularly 

Psychological safety thrives in a feedback-rich environment. Share constructive feedback with honesty and care, but also ask for feedback on your own leadership. It shows that you value the team’s voice, and it leads to improved leadership development over time.

Trust and Safety Are Your Strategic Advantages

If there’s one thing that can be learned from watching teams transform, it’s that psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have” feature; it’s the bedrock of effective leadership and high performance. It is both the foundation and fuel for innovation, collaboration, and trust. 

By creating environments where people feel psychologically safe, leaders won’t just see improved individual performances. From stronger team cohesion to clearer strategic outcomes that deliver real impact, entire organisations benefit when there are higher levels of trust.

Are you ready to harness the power of trust and safety in your organisation? Start with small steps, measure your growth, and watch as your team rises to its true potential. The results could very well be the strategic edge your organisation has been searching for.

Encourage boldness. Foster safety. Develop trust. The time to act is now.