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Managerial courage, through and for psychological safety

January 14, 2024

At All Leaders Initiative, we know and love organizations. And we know and love managers. We have been there, we support them, and we know that they demonstrate courage that is rarely highlighted. This courage is not just in big decisions, but also in their daily choice (increasingly rare, by the way, and that's one of today's challenges) to devote themselves to their teams, in service of their common mission.

Yes, managers are courageous, they have the courage to commit.

Becoming a manager is not an inconsequential decision. It takes the courage to take responsibility not only for results, but also for the well-being and development of their team. As David Marquet points out, this involves a shift from "leader-follower" mentality to "leader-leader", where managers are committed to building the skills and autonomy of each team member while retaining full responsibility for results.

They have the courage to make difficult decisions

Managers often face complex choices, involving difficult or unpopular compromises. This includes decisions about strategic changes, staff reductions, or the adoption of new working methods. This means stopping certain production activities, making complex trade-offs, and sometimes layoffs, in service of collective mission and ambition. In all cases, small or large decisions, change is never guaranteed and always generates defensive reactions: managers are on the front line to ensure it can be permanent within their team, for the benefit of their organization.

They have the courage to manage conflict

Confronting and resolving conflicts is never pleasant for anyone, in private or professional life. Within their team, managers have committed to taking on this delicate task that requires great courage and constant self-questioning. It is about navigating between different points of view (often equally valid) and interests, while maintaining a respectful and productive work environment. This is about saying things, and getting things said with honesty, guiding to make explicit what is not, and this is a skill that develops over time and daily work.

They have the courage to promote innovation and manage risk-taking

Encouraging innovation and calculated risk-taking within teams requires managers to go off the beaten path and question the status quo. This also involves supporting teams in the event of failure and encouraging them to learn from their mistakes.

They have the courage to defend their team's interests… or other teams'!

Sometimes managers must take a stand to defend their team's interests against management or other departments. This requires confidence and determination, especially when it comes to protecting resources or advocating for the team's needs. Even more so when you are a young manager. From time to time, internal arbitrations mean that other teams' interests are more crucial to the common mission. Once again, it is the managers who, keeping the organization's vision and mission in mind, will have to have the courage to assume it and explain it to their teams. This requires just as much confidence and determination!

They have the courage to give honest feedback and show empathy

Giving constructive feedback, especially when it is negative, is another area where managers must demonstrate courage. This involves being honest while preserving the motivation and engagement of collaborators. Similarly, it takes courage to show empathy and support team members through difficult periods, whether professional or personal. This can mean going beyond the traditional manager role to become a true, benevolent leader. The development of managerial courage comes through a deep understanding of a manager's purpose: why they choose to lead, why they commit to difficult decisions, and why they stand firmly alongside their teams even in adversity. This creates an environment where values such as transparency, trust and integrity are not only espoused, but actively lived, and this can only happen in an environment where psychological safety is sufficient.

Developing a culture of psychological safety is a way to support them

Managerial courage as an intrinsic component of the interpersonal dynamic within teams. Good timing: psychological safety, within a team or organization, is precisely "The shared belief by members of a team that they can express themselves freely and take interpersonal risks (express a divergent opinion, report even minor errors, share an unfinished idea, …) without fear of negative consequences". The relationship between manager courage and psychological safety in an organization is closely linked and bidirectional. They mutually reinforce each other in a virtuous circle.

Because psychological safety strengthens manager courage

Indeed, when a culture of psychological safety is established, managers feel safer taking risks and making bold choices. Knowing that the team is open to exploration and error, managers can act with more confidence. In this environment where open communication is valued, managers can express their doubts, contribute even if their thinking is not fully formed, and ask for feedback, which can help them make more informed and courageous decisions. This is particularly important for new managers who suffer more than others (no one is entirely exempt) from imposter syndrome. Finally, a psychologically safe environment reduces the burden of perfectionism: knowing that failure is accepted as part of the learning process, managers can act without the pressure to be perfect. This can unlock bold and innovative leadership potential for them, and also for their teams.

Just as manager courage is essential to psychological safety

First, because their attitude speaks louder than their words: when managers demonstrate courage, whether by making difficult decisions or admitting their own mistakes, they model behaviour that encourages team members to do the same. This creates a virtuous circle where courage breeds more courage. This allows for more honest (and often more difficult) discussions. By approaching and resolving complex discussions and conflicts constructively, managers show that it is possible to manage disagreements in a healthy way.

This encourages team members to express their opinions without fear of retaliation. It encourages the sharing of weak signals. By supporting colleagues' initiatives and ideas, managers strengthen trust and autonomy within the team, which is essential for psychological safety. By acknowledging that failure is a natural part of the growth process and by allowing it – under conditions – and managing it constructively, managers cultivate an environment where their team feels safe to try, fail and learn. This synergy between psychological safety and managerial courage creates an organizational dynamic where risk-taking, innovation, and personal and collective growth are encouraged, thus contributing to increased team performance and effectiveness.

Start now with All Leaders Initiative

Whatever your current company culture, you will benefit from working, with managers at the centre, to establish or strengthen good psychological safety within your teams. At All Leaders Initiative, we help you realise this potential. We focus on relational optimisation and the development of managerial skills that strengthen psychological safety within your team or to refine your skills as a leader. By putting manager courage and the nobility of their commitment at the centre. To find out more about our programmes and services, or to start your journey with All Leaders Initiative, visit our website all-leaders.fr or contact us directly. We are here to support you towards excellence and collective success. To go further

A few articles:

And a book:

"Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts." by Brené Brown.