Has a day gone by this year when you didn’t hear someone talk about creating workplaces where people feel safe to speak up? Psychological safety is everywhere, carrying the promise of endless benefits. But here’s the thing—while safety is crucial, is it also becoming a convenient excuse to dodge the tough stuff? I’ve seen teams where the fear of breaching some unwritten covenant of psychological safety has turned into a shield that blocks accountability, stifles honest feedback, and ironically, leaves bad behaviour unchallenged. Feeling safe matters, but without accountability, it’s just another comfort zone.
Safety Without Accountability: The Complacency Trap
When people feel they can speak up, ideas flow, mistakes become opportunities to learn, and innovation thrives. But without accountability, safety alone leads to soft feedback, slipping standards, and tough issues being swept aside. It’s comfortable—but it’s far from high performance.
For decades, I’ve coached high-performing teams across business, government, elite sport, and first responders. What I’ve seen time and again is that the best teams know real teamwork in demanding environments requires more than just feeling safe—it demands a relentless commitment to team values, purpose, and standards, all reinforced by a dynamic cycle of alignment, collaboration, and learning.
In the bestseller Think One Team, the story of a siloed organisation transforming into a united, high-performing team captures the power of the Align – Collaborate – Learn loop, which defines top teams:
- Align: Aligned teams commit to a shared purpose and goals, engage in tough conversations, and hold each other accountable.
- Collaborate: True collaboration goes beyond just getting along—it’s about selfless sharing, robust problem-solving, and co-creating solutions.
- Learn: High-performing teams prioritise learning at pace. They challenge each other, own their mistakes, and take full accountability for their actions. This action-learning mindset gives them the agility to adapt fast, which is a critical advantage in today’s workplace.
A leadership team in Defence facing high workloads and tensions between members from different backgrounds embraced the Think One Team approach. A pivotal moment in their development process came when they delved deeply into two questions: “What’s the environment we each need to feel bold and confident?” and “What’s the environment that empowers each of us to take ownership and deliver?” From an open, robust discussion they settled on a small set of core principles and habits. The result? Within weeks you could observe them in what we call ‘The Thriving Zone’ and outcomes were flowing beyond even their key stakeholders’ expectations.
The Thriving Zone: Where Safety and Accountability Meet
The Thriving Zone is the sweet spot where psychological safety meets collective accountability. It’s where people feel bold enough to speak up and also know they’re responsible for their actions. It’s safe, but it’s not soft. Teams in the Thriving Zone don’t just rely on feeling good—they rely on a disciplined approach to accountability. They embed feedback loops, debrief regularly, and keep the focus on continuous improvement. The Align – Collaborate – Learn model tells us that safety and accountability aren’t at odds—they’re the fuel for high performance.
Three Strategies to Lead in the Thriving Zone
How can you avoid mediocrity and create that thriving zone in your team? Here are three proven habits to weave into your daily leadership and team practices:
- Provide Clarity
Psychological safety doesn’t mean anything goes. It means, ‘We’re safe to be honest and direct, and we’re accountable for stepping up.’ Leaders set that tone and reinforce the standards. Be clear about what’s expected and what’s not. For example, mistakes are part of the journey, but the same mistake twice? Not okay. ‘Are we learning, or just repeating mistakes?’
- Go First with Vulnerability
Be upfront about your uncertainties and missteps. Vulnerability is strength—especially when it’s paired with humility and forward-looking confidence. Invite your team to hold you accountable. Own your actions to show that accountability isn’t about blame—it’s about doing better. By modelling this you set the standard for the entire team.
- Coach Constructive Challenging
Conflict isn’t your enemy—unchecked egos and avoidance are. Coach your team to make a constructive habit of disagreeing as they debate important issues. You’ll know it’s working when you hear questions, challenges, and relentless pursuit of the best solution—without blame or belittling. It’s not about internal competition; it’s about getting it right together.
Here’s a challenge that I’ve seen leaders use to real positive effect: ask each team member to rate your leadership on clarity, vulnerability, and coaching constructive conflict on a scale of 1 to 10. Collect the ratings via post-its anonymously, put them up on the board, and see where you stand. This will be a revealing indicator of whether you’re truly leading with psychological safety and collective accountability.
Don’t Let Safety Become a Comfort Zone
Psychological safety should never be a reason for lowering standards. It’s the launchpad for better teamwork, not the final destination. When leaders allow safety to become an excuse for avoiding tough conversations, it invites mediocrity. That might feel comfortable, but it’s a disservice to those who truly value respect, care, and fairness. High-performing teams want to face hard issues head-on, knowing they’ll be heard—and held accountable.
Align – Collaborate – Learn is a simple, memorable guide to the essence of high-performance teamwork but it isn’t just a framework—it’s a dynamic mindset that guides and drives leaders and teams to truly perform. Before you congratulate yourself on creating a safe space, ask: ‘Are we truly aligning, collaborating, and learning—or just getting by?’
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