TL;DR: A new poll shows that psychological safety at work is often fragile–nearly half of respondents say it “depends on the boss.” Real improvement requires leaders who respond to mistakes with curiosity, consistency, and follow-through.
When someone on your team makes a mistake, what happens next?
Do they speak up–or stay quiet?
Do leaders give feedback that demonstrates curiosity–or do they blame employees?
After interviewing over 200 leaders and contributors for my podcast “My Favorite Mistake” and book, The Mistakes That Make Us, one truth has become clear:
Speaking up isn't about character–it's about culture.
People don't stay quiet because they're weak.
They stay quiet because it doesn't feel safe to be honest.
That's why I recently shared a simple question on LinkedIn:
At your current job, how safe is it to admit a mistake?
Hear Mark read this post — subscribe to Lean Blog Audio
I'd love for you to add your perspective.
Click here to comment on the poll on LinkedIn. The poll is now closed, and the results are below:
These were the four poll options (LinkedIn keeps them short!):
- Very safe – no fear at all
- Somewhat – depends on boss
- Not very safe – it's risky
- Not safe – better stay quiet
If you vote, I'd encourage you to also leave a comment with a bit of context–what makes it safe (or not)? What role do leaders play? You can also post an anonymous comment here on the blog — something you might not feel comfortable sharing on LinkedIn with your name.
What These Results Suggest
On its own, a poll like this is just data. But when we slow down and reflect, patterns emerge — not about individuals, but about the systems and leadership mindsets that shape whether honesty feels safe.
I'm encouraged that only 6% responded “not safe” in the absolute sense. But nearly half — 47% — said something more nuanced and more concerning:
“Somewhat — depends on boss.”
That phrasing matters.
“Depends on boss” doesn't mean moderately safe.
It means fragile safety — safety that changes with personality, mood, or hierarchy.
In psychological safety research, this kind of inconsistency is one of the biggest barriers to learning. If you have to stop and wonder, “Is this the right day… or the right leader… to be honest?” then improvement stalls long before learning begins.
And when we compare these results to my earlier poll on “fear” and “futility,” a picture emerges that aligns with research from Professor Ethan Burris:
Futility — the belief that speaking up won't matter — is often a bigger barrier than fear.
Some people don't stay quiet because they think they'll get in trouble. They stay quiet because they've been taught — explicitly or implicitly — that nothing will change.
That's a system problem, not a people problem.
What Makes It Feel Safe — or Unsafe?
Comments on the poll reflected what I see in my coaching and consulting work:
- Safety increases when leaders respond with curiosity rather than criticism.
- Safety increases when employees see their input lead to action.
- Safety decreases when only some leaders encourage speaking up.
- Safety disappears when one “bad experience” becomes a lesson: don't do that again.
I recently spoke with a healthcare professional who said, “My manager encourages speaking up, but her boss does not — so I still stay quiet.” That's a reminder that psychological safety is only as strong as the next level up.
If we want continuous improvement — in aviation, healthcare, manufacturing, or anywhere else — we need systems where raising a concern isn't an act of bravery. It's simply part of the work.
A Simple Practice You Can Try Tomorrow
If you're a leader and you want to build a stronger speak-up culture, here's one small test — a Kaizen-sized shift:
Ask your team:
“What's something that didn't go as expected this week, and what did we learn from it?”
Then respond with genuine curiosity — not judgment, not problem-solving, not defensiveness.
Just curiosity.
A moment of curiosity today prevents a culture of silence tomorrow.
A Free Resource for Your Team
If you're looking for something concrete to bring into a team discussion, I've created a one-page resource:
Download The Mistake-Smart Leader's Checklist
It outlines six key behaviors that help leaders turn mistakes into learning — and silence into trust.
It's inspired by the stories in the book, from Toyota to healthcare systems to bourbon distilleries, and from hundreds of conversations on My Favorite Mistake.
What Leaders Do Next Is the Real Test
The most telling result from this poll isn't that some people feel unsafe admitting mistakes–it's that nearly half said, “it depends on the boss.” That tells us psychological safety isn't absent; it's inconsistent.
And inconsistency is what quietly kills learning.
When safety depends on who's in the room, people don't take thoughtful risks. They wait. They filter. They protect themselves. Over time, organizations don't just lose ideas–they lose honesty.
The good news is that psychological safety doesn't require grand gestures or slogans. It's built (or eroded) in everyday moments: how leaders respond to a mistake, whether feedback leads to action, and whether curiosity shows up consistently–not just when it's convenient.
If admitting a mistake feels risky in your organization, that's not a people problem. It's a leadership system waiting to be improved.
And the work starts with one simple question, asked–and answered–the same way every time:
“What can we learn from this?”
Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
If you’re working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, solve problems, and improve every day, I’d be glad to help. Let’s talk about how to strengthen Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement in your organization.
