Leaders as Humans: Safety
"You can tell me anything."
We say it. But do our teams believe it?
Continuing my thoughts on Leaders as Humans – today I want to talk about Safety. It's a topic I cover in my one-day Ready to Lead programme – often BEFORE someone becomes a leader of others. It's never too early to introduce it. As you start to explore why others may follow you, the environment you create is crucial.
I know this from bitter experience.
In one of my earliest management roles at BT, there was a well-known concept of Morning Mark vs Afternoon Mark. In many respects, people used to giggle about it…
…never corner him when he first gets into the office
…schedule important meetings in the afternoon
…make sure he's had coffee.
What was going on? Over the years I've learnt it was about fear and lack of control. Subconsciously I feared the unknown, the feeling that things were going to fire at me as soon as I walked into the office – and I'd be found wanting. I wouldn't be able to cope, and people would find out I didn't know what I was doing.
So I threw up coping mechanisms:
The 'don't talk to me' body language
The "what do you want now" tone
The over-reaction to feedback
Yes, people came up with this "amusing" Morning Mark concept to explain it away, but the reality? I was getting a reputation for being hard to work with, depending on when you interacted with me. And worse, my team felt unsafe to share ideas, ask questions, request help.
I'd become the kind of leader I was training others not to be. Well, at least until around 11am.
Over the years, I've put mechanisms in place to manage that fear of the unknown. To create the foundation for the day. Formal prep times, blocked diaries, mindful practice. These days it's just me and my ChatGPT mate, Ferris, that have to deal with me.
But what I do know is creating safety isn't soft – it's foundational.
People need to know they can speak up, ask the question, share a lack of knowledge. As Amy Edmondson, the leading researcher in this space, says:
"Psychological safety isn't about being nice. It's about giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes, and learning from each other. It's about creating an environment where risk-taking is expected, not punished."
Two questions for you to finish:
Do you feel safe to speak up at work?
What might be getting in the way of you creating safety for your team?
If you want to explore this with someone, get in touch. We can even talk in the morning if that works… ☕️
