In 2012, Google embarked on a two-year study to uncover what makes a team successful. The results were clear: the most effective teams weren’t defined by the smartest individuals or the most skilled members, but by the presence of five key factors, with psychological safety at the top.
The concept of psychological safety, pioneered by Dr. Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School, refers to a team environment where individuals feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment, punishment, or humiliation. It is not about creating a workplace that is simply comfortable or free of conflict. Instead, it is about fostering trust, openness, and accountability—key ingredients for high performance.
Psychological Safety and Gender Equity: Why It Matters
While psychological safety is crucial for all employees, it plays an even more significant role in advancing gender equity in the workplace. Studies show that women are more likely to face interruptions, be penalized for assertiveness, and receive less actionable feedback than their male colleagues. When psychological safety is low, these gendered dynamics become even more pronounced, discouraging women from speaking up, sharing ideas, or challenging decisions—all of which are critical for leadership growth.
For example:
✅ Women in leadership often hesitate to voice bold ideas if they fear being labeled as “aggressive” or “too ambitious.”
✅ Men may not feel comfortable challenging gender biases in the workplace if they fear backlash from their peers.
✅ Women in technical fields or male-dominated industries may feel added pressure to prove their competence, making them more risk-averse in speaking up.
When organizations fail to build psychological safety, they unintentionally reinforce gender inequities by amplifying existing biases, discouraging diverse voices, and stifling inclusion.
How Leaders Can Foster Psychological Safety & Gender Equity
1. Encourage Diverse Voices in Decision-Making
Women are often interrupted more frequently in meetings and may hesitate to share ideas in male-dominated spaces. Leaders can ensure equity by actively inviting input and reinforcing the contributions of women when they are overlooked.
💡 Try this:
- If you notice someone interrupting a woman in a meeting, step in: “Let’s hear [her name] finish her thought first.”
- Amplify women’s ideas by repeating and crediting their contributions: “That’s a great point that [her name] made earlier.”
2. Normalize Mistakes & Learning Over Perfection
Women tend to be held to higher performance standards and often internalize the pressure to be “perfect” before speaking up. Leaders can counteract this by rewarding experimentation, acknowledging mistakes as learning moments, and modeling vulnerability themselves.
💡 Try this:
- Instead of focusing only on success stories, share your own learning experiences and mistakes to set the tone for open dialogue.
- Shift feedback culture from “fixing” performance to developing potential, making it equally actionable for both men and women.
3. Address Gender Bias Openly & Make Allyship the Norm
Many men want to support gender equity but hesitate to speak up out of fear of saying the wrong thing. Psychological safety extends to men as well—it means creating a space where they feel encouraged to challenge gender biases, ask questions, and take action as allies.
💡 Try this:
- Foster cross-gender mentorship and sponsorship programs so that men actively support women’s leadership growth.
- Encourage peer-led gender conversations where men and women discuss challenges together without judgment.
4. Make Psychological Safety Measurable
It’s not enough to assume a workplace is psychologically safe—leaders must actively measure it.
💡 Try this:
- Run anonymous team surveys asking, “Do you feel comfortable speaking up in meetings?” or “Do you feel safe admitting mistakes?”
- In team discussions, use Amy Edmondson’s psychological safety-performance matrix to check where your team falls and what needs improvement.
Final Thoughts: Building Inclusive, High-Performing Teams
Psychological safety isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s a business imperative that drives innovation, team performance, and leadership development. And when applied through a gender equity lens, it becomes a critical tool for breaking down barriers and fostering true inclusion.
If you lead a team, I encourage you to use Amy Edmondson’s matrix as a conversation starter. Ask your team:
👉 Where do we fall on this matrix?
👉 What does psychological safety mean to us?
👉 How can we create an environment where everyone—regardless of gender—feels empowered to contribute?
Gender equity and psychological safety are not separate issues—they are deeply interconnected. When workplaces prioritize both, they create cultures where all individuals, regardless of gender, can thrive, take risks, and lead with confidence.🚀 What’s one small action you can take today to build psychological safety in your team? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Written by Olga Coscodan
