The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation

by Timothy R. Clark

This is the first practical, hands-on guide that shows how leaders can build psychological safety in their organization, creating an environment where employees feel fully engaged and encouraged to contribute their best ideas.

Fear has a profoundly negative impact on engagement, learning efficacy, productivity, and innovation, but until now there has been a lack of practical information on how to make employees feel safe about speaking up and contributing. Timothy Clark, a social scientist and an organizational consultant, provides a framework to move people through successive stages of psychological safety. The first stage is member safety--the team accepts you and grants you shared identity. Learner safety, the second stage, indicates that you feel safe to ask questions, experiment, and even make mistakes. Next is the third stage of contributor safety, where you feel comfortable participating as an active and full-fledged member of the team. Finally, the fourth stage of challenger safety allows you to take on the status quo without repercussion, reprisal, or the risk of tarnishing your personal standing and reputation. This is a blueprint for how any leader can build positive, supportive, and encouraging cultures in any setting.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Psychology, Business, Management, Professional Development, Cultural

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 3, 2020

About the author

Timothy R. Clark is founder and CEO of LeaderFactor, a global consulting, coaching, and training organization. Dr. Clark is an international authority in the fields of psychological safety & innovation, large-scale change & transformation, and senior leadership development. He is the author of four previous books: Epic Change: How to Lead Change in the Global Age (John Wiley/Jossey-Bass), Leadership Bones (Bradmore Road Press), The Employee Engagement Mindset (McGraw-Hill), Leading with Character and Competence: Moving Beyond Title, Position, And Authority (Berrett-Koehler). He is also the developer of the EQometer emotional intelligence assessment.
Dr. Clark is a highly sought-after advisor, coach, and facilitator to CEOs and senior leadership teams. He has personally coached over 100 CEOs and executives and trained many senior teams around the world. Dr. Clark earned a PhD in social science from Oxford University, and was both a British Research Scholar and a Fulbright Scholar at Seoul National University in Korea. He also earned a master’s degree in Government and economics from the University of Utah. As an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, he was named a first-team Academic All-American football player where he completed a triple degree cum laude.

Reviews

[Meckell Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now THIS is a message that I wish everyone knew about! Had I known about psychological safety and the 4 stages earlier, I think I could've been a much better leader in my past roles. It is so important to create a "safe space" where everyone feels included, safe, and secure in where they are in a group both socially and psychologically or within themselves.

Not only is this great to implement as a leader, but it's also an important message for parents, teachers etc. Could you imagine how a home dynamic could change if we all felt safe to share opinions.. any opinion honestly.. but especially those contrary to the popular home belief?

For me, being the "people pleaser" personality, things like disagreement or confrontation in the home were especially uncomfortable. Note: I say WERE because since reading this book, that has changed. I would find myself simply agreeing with what all the others said and not giving much thought to any of it.

After being enlightened by this book, I began looking through a different lens and noticed that some of my other younger siblings did the same as I did. No opinion, no voice. I didn't want that for them so I made a personal change. I started asking more questions, inviting other opinions, giving credit where needed to build their confidence... All the things you learn in the book... and surprisingly, the others caught on. It look some time, but it happened. Change happened. And our home will remain a happier place because of it :)

So, read the book! Maybe you'll be just as surprised as I was of where the changes will take place.

[Sri Shivananda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a simple read that takes the concept of psychological safety and breaks it up into its constituent stages - inclusion safety, learning safety, contribution safety and challenging safety. This book serves as a practical leadership guide to help create thriving environments that maximize engagement and innovation. Its intuitive and can be applied to assess and launch approaches to create psychological safety which is the core of building trust in any culture.

[Jason Hillenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy Clark’s "The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation" deals with an all too relevant topic – the need for organizational leaders to build psychological safety for their employees encouraging engagement, success, and inclusion. Clark has unique qualifications to speak about this subject. He is an organizational consultant with many of the world’s top companies like American Express, CEO in his own right with his company LeaderFactor, and an Oxford-trained social scientist so this book is thus laden with the sort of research laden approach to delving into the issue it deserves. His sure hand as a writer derives from experience; this is his fourth and perhaps best book.

Clark has an unabashed penchant for sharing his own personal experiences in this realm and it makes for a more invigorating book. The opening preface relating his time working in a steel mill following his Oxford departure is alone worth the price of the book frankly because he writes with such disarming thoughtful intimacy. The preface is rife with literary allusions, Key Questions and Concepts, as well as a couple of illustrations reinforcing his prose. The same strengths are present in the introduction as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: www.leaderfactor.com

He divides the book into four parts, covering each stage, and opens each with a quote. Clark summarizes each Key Concept and Question at the end of those individual parts as he did in the preface and introduction. The unity and strong overall structure of the book is an abiding hallmark of Clark’s previous texts – there’s an all encompassing seamlessness in his presentation of these concepts. The intellectual bent of this work nevertheless has a very down to earth aura inviting readers of every ilk to enjoy and dive deeper into Clark’s thinking.

This is not a book where, on my first reading, you can cherry pick passages. It demands a beginning to end reading on the first go but subsequent re-readings will allow you to go to relevant passages and glean necessary insights. The tremendous amount of research defining the book has varied sources; it is clear Clark, if nothing else, is eclectic and informs his work from a wide variety of disciplines. In particular, the clear psychological grounding Clark brings to the work gives it a whole dimension of meaning and depth. He clearly understands human nature and does an exceptional job of rendering it for readers.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Stages-Psychol...

His checklists encompass the book’s lessons in concise fashion and illustrate one of its key strengths – there is no dross in Clark’s work. There is not a single wasted word and his articulate shaping of each point makes his insights sharper than many others are capable of. Few readers will have encountered such a thorough and affecting guide to achieving psychological safety in an organizational environment, but it goes further – many of the book’s truths possess universal application extending across a wide spectrum of human life. It distinguishes Timothy Clark’s "The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation" as an unique work with enduring value.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much wisdom in such a small book. A great treatment of how psychological safety in the workplace is built and how it creates personal and team dynamics that unlock true potential of people and whole organizations. Must read for any aspiring leader.

[Hamish Grable · Rating 5 out of 5]

#thefourstagesofpsychologicalsafety by #timothyrclark #leaderfactor @bkpub #berrettkoehlerpublishers #bkpublishing
…
Clark identifies psychological safety as a condition in which you feel:
* included
* safe to learn
* safe to contribute, and
* safe to challenge the status quo
…all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way
…
The text underpins the notion that if you can banish fear, install true performance-based accountability, and create a nurturing environment that allows people to be vulnerable as they learn and grow, they will perform beyond your expectations and theirs
…
The research utilisés great anecdotes and frameworks, which connect on an organisational and personal level
…
A quick, yet energising read, prompting deep reflection and a call to invocation
…
Have you #read this #book? What did you think?

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psychological safety is an easy concept to understand, and I’ve gone to a few online sessions on the topic. Despite my familiarity, I still learned a lot from this book. I highlighted many passages in the book, even in the Foreword! The concepts are presented with credible stories from the author, as well as, leadership tips and lessons. The need for psychological safety in your team, org, and even family comes through in a way that I found appealed to my own value system.

[Lukas Bakos · Rating 2 out of 5]

great concept...but a short article would be enough to cover it

[Deene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Clark is a gifted writer who synthesizes the complexity of human relationships with the dynamic processes of organizational change. He offers to the reader a highly assessable and diagnostic framework to create and sustain thriving systems.

But make no mistake: this book doesn’t rest on theory. Right from the start, Clark implores you to read this book to crack yourself open – for action and change.

With humility, humor and insight, he invites you on a journey as a first among equals. You will eagerly walk with him (this book is a page-turner!) learning, laughing, cheering and sometimes cringing as you see your own reflection and fit together puzzle pieces from your current and past experiences.

“When it comes to innovation, connectivity produces productivity” is one of countless Key Concepts - each one a gem inviting reflection, dialogue, and behavioral change.

Practical as a user’s manual, potent and reflective as a poem, and as thick with theory as a textbook, I will return to this book again and again for insight and direction.

Make this book required reading in your board room and classroom, as CEO, consultant, client or entrepreneur, and for collaborative or administrative teams, managers, parents and anyone who serves in a leadership role with or without the formal title.

You’ll be a better person for reading this book, and in the process you’ll lift others around you. A win/win for a congruent life and psychological safety.

Deene Morris, Inspire Leadership LLC

[MindOverMatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great elaboration on the number one critical quality necessary for success which is "psychological safety". As the author states beautifully: "The presence of fear in an organization is the first sign of weak leadership."

A bit too much time is spent on giving examples and motivating the concepts. I missed clear strategies to ensure all aspects of psychological safety are created (or a strategic way to test and measure whether aspects are met).

[Briana Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likes: Fascinating new concept of psychological safety in 4 stages: (1) Inclusion safety (2) Learner safety (3) Contributor safety (4) Challenger safety. Summary and key questions at end of each chapter.
Dislikes: Could be shorter and more to the point in some parts
Recommend For: All managers and anyone interested in concept of psychological safety in and outside of the workplace

[Rebecca Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. This book is excellent! It does a fantastic job of walking through psychological safety, what you can do and the importance of it. Packed with research, simple concepts to understand, examples and action steps.

[Jung]

The world can be a scary place. And so for every type of social unit – whether it’s work, school, or home – we have a desire to feel safe. A lack of safety stifles productivity, creativity, and innovation. It deters risk-taking and perpetuates harmful competition.

You can change that by establishing the four stages of psychological safety. Notice how your prejudice influences who you include and who you don’t. Cultivate learner safety by encouraging and rewarding people for making mistakes and asking questions (remember the calculus teacher!). Get to know your colleagues. Decide what type of contributor safety they need to participate, and when it’s a good idea to provide it. And, finally, remember: innovation won’t happen by sticking with the status quo – you need challenger safety. So make it both acceptable and required to challenge tradition.

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Learn how to encourage innovation through inclusion in your team or organization.

Congrats! You’re in the luxurious position of choosing between two teams you could work with. Let’s go ahead and meet them.

This is the first team’s office. Notice that? The air is stiff. The atmosphere – ice cold. Everyone looks scared. People aren’t asking questions; they think they’ll look stupid. And on top of it all is a boss who’s more concerned with sustaining an ego trip than hearing what anyone else has to say.

Now let’s mosey on over into the second team’s office. You’re warmly greeted at the door. A few members of the team are working on a project together. They invite you over to explain the problem they’re trying to tackle. The manager is there too – listening and encouraging everyone to put any and all ideas on the table for discussion.

Immediately, you know that this is your team.

But why aren’t all teams like that? It’s simple: an inclusive environment doesn’t just happen – it takes effort. It has to be cultivated. And it requires that the team leader or coach provide psychological safety. This means that every team member feels they can take risks, try new things, and make mistakes without the fear of negative consequences.

We’ll take a look at Timothy R. Clark’s ideas about how you can provide the four levels of psychological safety to create more productive environments. You’ll be able to apply the following actionable tips and insights to do this – whether you’re a parent, a youth soccer coach, or a Fortune 500 CEO.

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INCLUSION SAFETY

To create inclusion safety, make sure team members feel unconditionally included from the very beginning.

The first stage of psychological safety, inclusion safety, is a prerequisite for everything else. This involves an initial offering of unconditional respect for all human beings – an acknowledgment that everyone deserves respect and therefore deserves to be included. Later, inclusion might be withheld or revoked – but, at the start, the only condition for inclusion should be a person’s fellow humanity.

In this day and age, leaders tout “diversity and inclusion” as buzzwords to brag about their wokeness – so why does there continue to be a lack of inclusion safety? For one, not everyone who talks about it actually puts it into practice. More often than not, as we saw with the first team you visited previously, a tense, distrustful environment is favored over an empathetic and inclusive one. A study by Ernst & Young found that not even half of employees trust their bosses. So what can you do to avoid becoming part of this statistic?

Before you can address this, you’ll need to ask yourself a question: Why do you choose to include some people and not others?

According to the author, Timothy R. Clark, children seem to intuitively know the importance of inclusion. It’s strange, then, that this doesn’t transfer to adulthood. One answer could be that, as adults, we continually find ways to justify why we’re superior to other people. We tell ourselves that our differences are a reason for conflict, not celebration. Often, it’s a way of compensating for things we’re insecure about. Interestingly, we don’t always exclude someone because we don’t like them; usually, it’s because we have unmet needs.

This attitude starts at the top – with a manager, teacher, or parent more concerned about being right than creating an environment that stimulates safety or innovation. Then it trickles down through the ranks.

Clark witnessed this effect first-hand when he started out as manager of a steel plant in Geneva, Utah. The first team he spoke with at the steel plant pulled him aside and insisted that their department was a little special. They had more expertise than the other teams, they said. Their work was more complicated, and they were absolutely essential to the steel plant’s operations. It made sense at first – but every team he met with after that said the exact same thing. They all believed they were special, that they were the most important. And in trying to distinguish themselves, they were putting down the others. This resulted in each department becoming isolated, and averse to collaboration and communication. They were stuck in a cycle of unhealthy competition.

Now, here’s a solution: suspend your judgment – initially, at least – to encourage inclusion. Think about who you include and exclude. Now ask yourself why? What biases or prejudices might be at play here?

Perhaps it’s easier said than done. You can’t get rid of personal bias altogether; you’ll always have a bit of it lying around. But by identifying it and noticing where it affects your behavior, you can slowly start working on eliminating its influence. If you’re having trouble with this step, ask a close friend or acquaintance about your unconscious biases.

Once you’re comfortable providing inclusion solely on the basis that every human being deserves a fundamental level of respect, you can move on to the next stage of psychological safety: the safety to learn, make oneself vulnerable, and make mistakes in the process.

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LEARNER SAFETY

To provide learner safety, create an environment where failure isn’t just accepted – it’s rewarded.

Maybe you’ve been in a silent team meeting where nobody wants to propose any new ideas or ask questions because the all-too-authoritarian manager might criticize them. Or a silent classroom where everyone is afraid to answer the teacher’s question in case they look stupid.

Think of the last time you learned something new. Do you remember that uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability in the beginning? What happened next depended on your learning environment – an environment that’s currently in your, the leader’s, hands.

Learner safety consists of two powerful levers. First, minimize the feeling that being wrong is bad. And second, minimize the expectation that feedback only happens as punishment. Allowing fear to have free reign over an organization encourages people to self-censor, to constantly calculate whether the potential reward is big enough for the risk taken. Is it worth the benefit of being right if I might look stupid? If I get this wrong will my reputation suffer? That’s how we end up with a one-way ticket back to our proverbial silent classroom. Unfortunately, this pattern has become the rule in many cases.

But let’s look to the exceptions for guidance.

At Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, an electrical-engineer-turned-calculus-teacher runs his classroom with a single basic assumption: anyone can learn calculus. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a math whiz or have always struggled with algebra. Students are expected to have failures repeatedly during the course of the year. The teacher, Craig B. Smith, views this as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. His classes use a system that rewards participation with points, whether or not someone is right or wrong. As a student in his class, you can ask questions, take a stab at solving problems, and openly admit you’re confused. All of this is rewarded as a positive part of the learning process.

And the results are striking. The year before Craig started teaching calculus in 2007, just 46 students per 1,000 took the Advanced Placement AB Calculus exam. By 2016, that had jumped 250 percent to 160 students per 1,000. Now, his students pass the exam at a rate nearly 800 percent higher than the national average. Craig’s secret isn’t that he has some kind of exceptional understanding of calculus. Instead, he sees the students as humans, recognizes the immense risk they take by entering the calculus classroom in the first place, and then rewards it. Not every student continues studying math after high school, but they all learn how to approach and defeat challenges with confidence.

In your organization, is failure punished or rewarded? Do you encourage employees to make mistakes, or are errors a cause for shame?

It’s important to note that group leaders aren’t the only people guilty of threatening learner safety – other team members might threaten it through their own behavior as well. Not everyone will take to the idea of rewarding mistakes immediately. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize when colleagues are quick to speak out and shoot down others’ ideas, and try to develop an individual solution to ensure that all team members feel included and safe to learn.

If employees feel comfortable asking a superior for help without fearing negative repercussions, the organization will become that much more of a collaborative, innovative place. Everyone will be able to learn and grow freely while keeping stress to a minimum.

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CONTRIBUTOR SAFETY

To provide contributor safety, get to know your team, limit your tell-to-ask ratio, and help colleagues think beyond their roles.

By now, you know how you can include your team members and the optimal way for them to learn. Now, it’s crucial that they get the opportunity to put their learnings into practice. And for that, you need contributor safety.

This is the third stage of psychological safety – but it’s the first that’s not a natural right as a human being. Contributor safety is something you have to earn; you need to demonstrate that you can perform at the level needed. It’s basically an exchange of risk. If you consistently deliver results, you’ll be trusted to do your thing.

This quickly descends into a paradoxical chicken-egg situation. If, for some reason, you don’t deliver results, the boss or coach can say that’s reason enough not to let you contribute again. That’s because the team or organization is taking a risk on behalf of you. If you don’t perform well, you don’t suffer personally – the team does. But if you don’t get a chance to contribute again after that, you’ll never get a shot at reversing the fate of a single mistake. You might get sidelined, benched, fired – or, even worse, micromanaged!

The point is that contributor safety has to be established and maintained by both parties. And for a leader, this is a constant balancing act. If you grant contributor safety too early, the decision might backfire. Someone who’s not yet ready may end up with way too much responsibility or tasks not suited to their skill set – think letting a first-year medical student perform brain surgery.

At the same time, you don’t want to overdo the gatekeeping and hold people back from reaching their potential. Perhaps someone has the skills and experience needed, but you’re still withholding contributor safety because of some other trust issue or bias.

Here are three ways to up your contributor safety game as a pragmatic but compassionate leader.

First, get to know your team’s strengths and weaknesses. Gone are the days of the ivory-tower managers – but also the days of the constantly micromanaging bosses. You need to be able to discern whether to trust someone’s abilities or not.

Another way is to curb your speaking time. Do you spend more time telling people what to do than listening to what they have to say? Because there’s really no need for you to be the one to provide the questions and the answers. Instead, let your colleagues figure it out. Listen first. And if they seem stuck or are missing something, well, that’s what learner safety is for! They can ask for help, and you can gladly provide it – by talking last. Establishing this type of trust does increase the risk for both you and your organization. But if you’ve gotten to know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be much better prepared to make these calls.

Last, share the bigger picture and let your team collaborate. It’s bad for the innovation potential of an organization if each employee is isolated in their own cubicle, with their own little tasks. Initially, of course, employees need to learn the tasks specific to their role. But then, by creating and sustaining contributor safety, you can also help colleagues think strategically outside of their own roles. And the more that employees collaborate, the more dynamic and innovative an organization can become.

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CHALLENGER SAFETY

Democratize innovation by fostering challenger safety.

Now we’re climbing to the top of the psychological safety ladder. This last stage is challenger safety, and it’s crucial for the success of your team or company.

Just like people, organizations can get stuck in their ways. Going up against that is intimidating, especially when those in charge are dead set on maintaining the existing MO. Similar to the other stages of psychological safety, challenger safety is never going to completely remove the heebie-jeebies that risk-taking induces.

Let’s look at where this chronic dread comes from. At its foundation is a high level of uncertainty. The psychological safety contract entails trading certainty and safety for uncertainty and ambiguity. But, as a leader, you can work to remove as much uncertainty as possible. Each unknown can be a source of stress – so try to eliminate as many unknowns for your team members to make it less stressful to voice criticism.

Now, here are a few concrete steps you can take to encourage challenging the status quo in your organization rather than upholding it.

Don’t just encourage dissent from the beginning – assign it! Charge a few people, or everyone, with finding problems in projects, initiatives, or other topics. If troubleshooting becomes the norm and not the exception, it’ll be that much easier for members of your team to feel comfortable keeping a critical eye out for weak points. Many organizations already do this in some way. IT businesses have internal hackers to intentionally expose vulnerabilities in their systems. And in the 1960s, NASA famously created “tiger teams” of specialists tasked with finding every possible source of failure in spacecraft subsystems.

You can also be more conscientious about allocating responsibilities. For regular meetings, create a rotating schedule so that a different person chairs each time.

Consider running a group training session every week, and use a rotation as well. Make sure that less-experienced and less-senior members have a chance to train higher-status employees so they can practice interacting outside of the traditional hierarchy.

If you want to talk to someone, go over to their desk or workspace rather than making them come to you. This also lessens the power and status gap.

Finally, keep in mind that some of your employees might be neurodivergent. This means that they have variations in learning, mood, or attention. Perhaps they are on the autism spectrum or have dyslexia. Some might not feel especially at home in social situations. In the context of psychological safety, this can translate to a sharp sensitivity to fear. An individual might respond faster to fear indicators and also take longer to recover from these experiences.

Part of knowing your team is perceiving these variations so that you can recognize which members need what type of safety when. Thus, you can ensure everyone feels safe to voice constructive criticism without the terror of negative consequences.

[Laurel Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good. I listened to the audiobook but I'm going to go back and read the e-book to take notes.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of “Psychological Safety” is both often misunderstood, and essential to effective (and even innovative) groups. “Psychological Safety” is about how comfortable people are sharing and challenging ideas. Psychological Safety is a very practical matter. It can be related to physical safety as well (for example, a factory when team members are reluctant to point out safety issues), and business success and innovation. Timothy Clark’s new book (which I got an advance copy of) explains the concept in a clear way and defines a framework you can use to understand where your group -- be it a work group or a social group -- stands, and how it can get better.

After an overview, the book goes through the 4 stages: Inclusion Safety, Learner Safety, and Contributor safety, and Innovator safety, defines each and explains impact on the team dynamic, and what is necessary for each to exist. The book helped me to better understand why some groups I’ve worked with felt pleasant and productive, and why others felt less so. The framework makes reference to other concepts you may have heard, such as Grit, Teaming and safety culture.

At the core, the book is about business, but the author used examples and analyses from a range of domains, which is both good and bad. The good is that it makes it clear how universal these ideas are, in school, work, and interpersonal life. The bad is that the book lacks a bit or coherence that could have made it a great book. As the book progresses from discussing inclusion safety to challenger safety, the focus shift more toward business teams, but maintains connections toward more global society issues.

Personal, and third party stories from the business and non-business contexts as well as ideas from the literature on safety and related fields. Chapters end with summaries of key points and actions to take, and end notes and references can point you in the right direction if you wish to go deeper.

This book is a quick, actionable read. You’ll learn things you can (and should) to do move your group to the higher levels in the framework, and understand the situations that might be less salvageable. Those in a leadership role, such as managers will find it useful to understand . And those not in that explicit role will benefit both from the context it provides to help you to understand why you might be feeling some discomfort in your work place, and also the small things you can do on your own to make it better.

[Malte Johnsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tons of words. Good for a beginner

Book was for me rambling and meandering, not based in any research or references to other theories or anything like that. Lots of references to philosophers and the like. Practical; perhaps; if you are a beginner to the subject. Too roundabout for me, but a good start of you're new to the ideas.

[Shelbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about how to create a safe place for others to grow and innovate. I read it in the context of business but this is also applicable to the home. I listened to this on Audible but it’s one of the (*ahem, many) books I will also purchase a hard copy of to reference and re-read. So much good stuff here!

[Benjamin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 4 stages has reaffirmed the essential role psychological safety plays in personal and professional success. Clark clearly outlines what psychological safety is and provides great examples of each stage. Thought provoking, engaging, and enlightening read.

[Ric Raftis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found the book to be very verbose

This book could have been much shorter. The concepts were meaningful, but the lengthy personal stories got a bit much. A few times I found myself saying “get on with it”.

[Chetan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could've been a 1 page blog.

[Sharon Summerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book!

This is a must read for everyone. I was introduced to this book by Benjamin Clark with LeaderFactor through my participation in the Psychological Safety Working Group part of the HR Strategy Council.

In this wonderful book the author describes Psychological safety as:
A condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo – all without the fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.

As I read this book, I reflected on the work cultures where I felt psychologically safe. The amazing leaders I worked with, and the wonderful teams and organizations I was part of this.
In the projects and teams, where I felt psychologically safe, there was always a people first approach. We were given beautiful opportunities to learn and grow, where curiosity was fostered to ask questions, lift and support others, and yes move beyond the status quo. At times the learning curve was very steep as we worked and collaborated outside of our comfort zone.

As I reflected, I remembered seeing a position posting, several years ago, with a construction firm LMS Group where they captured one of the core competencies was “does not accept the status quo”.
At the time I was working for a large engineering firm and also working on a large infrastructure project, and living and working around several of their projects. As I crossed paths with their staff in the community I was inspired as they were always respectful and professional. This organization was clearly doing something different to call out the importance of not accepting the status quo and considering this as a key competency for success.

Emotional Intelligence creates psychological safety in the organization. Timothy R. Clark
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety is a great book each of us should read. I enjoyed how the author captured key concepts at the end of each chapter and questions to consider. I will share only a few of these concepts and a sprinkling of questions to hopefully entice you to pick up this wonderful book from your local bookstore.

Preface – Key Concepts
o The leaders task is to simultaneously increase intellectual friction and decrease social friction
o The presence of fear in an organization is the first sign of weak leadership
Question
Do you consistently invite others to challenge the status quo in order to make things better?

Introduction – Key Concepts
o People flourish when they’re participating in a cooperative system with high psychological safety
o The need to be accepted precedes the need to be heard
o Where there is no tolerance for candor, there is no constructive dissent. Where there is no constructive dissent, there is no innovation.
Question
How likely are you to innovate if you don’t perceive high levels of respect and permission?
The more we create psychological safety the more we enjoy the rewards of rich connection, belonging and collaboration. Timothy R. Clark

Stage 1 – Inclusion Safety – Key Concepts
You learn inclusion when you practice inclusion. Behave until you believe.
o The choice to include another human being activates our humanity.
o As you love people with action, you come to love them with emotion.
Question
How do you acknowledge and show sensitivity and appreciation for the cultural differences that exist on your team?

Stage 2 – Learner Safety – Key Concepts
Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased. Jiddu Krishnamurti
o The moral imperative to grant learner safety is to act first by encouraging the learner to learn. Be the first mover.
Question
When was the last time you created a nurturing learning environment for another person’s curiosity and motivation?

Stage 3 – Contributor Safety – a few key concepts
o Speaking first when you hold positional power softly censors your team.
o The invitation to think beyond one’s role expresses greater respect for the individual and grants greater permission to contribute.
Question
Do you respect only high achievers and the higher education, or do you recognize that insight and answers can come from the most unlikely people?
Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change. Martin Luther King Jr.

Stage 4 – Challenger Safety
o Don’t make it emotionally expensive to challenge the status quo. As the members of your team to challenge specific things and discuss ideas on merit.
o The more unknowns the leader eliminates through transparency, the fewer sources of stress the employee worries about.
o When it comes to innovation, connectivity increases productivity.
Question
When was the last time you were brave and challenged the status quo?

Psychological Safety is one of our basic needs. It is extremely difficult to feel nourished if this basic need is not being met.

The greatest source of fulfillment in life comes from including others, helping them learn and grow, unleashing their potential, and finding deep communion together. Timothy R. Clark

I ask you to consider some of the ideas shared and to make time to spend with your team asking some of these questions. Let us find new ways to build organizations and cultures where we create and bring out differences; foster creativity and innovation to move beyond the status quo; to learn, grow and lift each other.

I do believe we can create a path for greater inclusion where our teams feel psychologically safe and inspired to bring their best to all they do. I highly recommend this wonderful book.
Be nourished in all you do.

[E.R. Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy R. Clark’s new book is one that far too many modern CEOs and leaders need. In 2020, it’s hard to believe that so many successful executives fail to see that leadership involves enabling and empowering the people that make up a company. Dr. Clark has composed a highly practical book that explains pathway to providing the guidance and confidence employees need to do their best work. With examples from his own professional background and many from others who have achieved success, he shows the progress from Inclusiveness, Learning, Contributing and Challenging. These stages illuminate how employees get empowered to make their company successful.

This is a tome I will be recommending to a few key leaders who really struggle to develop the Emotional Intelligence to power a team to grand things. I do hope that the straight talk Dr. Clark offers can appeal to them, as I think it’s very easy for leaders who got to their lofty role from “grit” and “hard work” (and, usually, a fair amount of luck), will dismiss advice like this as “going soft on people.”

For me, these ideas address important concerns that even a high-EQ executive like myself can benefit from. The book’s tone is fairly matter-of-fact so I’m hopeful the straight talk will appeal to those who aren’t always committed to diversity, equity and inclusiveness. That’s perhaps the one concern: I hope those with closed minds will crack open a book that clearly is calling them out. I guess the stick may work better than the carrot for these leaders anyway since they are into authoritarian management. Here’s hoping they will embrace the perspective that you will get more from helping people feel included, encouraged to learn and contribute and even to challenge leadership in the name of innovation and business success.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lieliska grāmata, kuru ir vērts izlasīt katram, īpaši komandas vadītājiem un cilvēkiem kuriem interesē līderība no mazliet cita skatpunkta. Saredzēju daudz vērtīgu atziņu un šī lasāmviela nav tāda, kuru izlasa vienreiz un noliek plauktā lai tā sāk krāt putekļus.
To var pāršķirstīt ik pa laikam un atrast arvien jaunus domu pavedienus. Noteikti izlasīšu vēl kādu grāmatu no autora repertuāra, parasti šāda tipa grāmatas prasa nedaudz iespringt prātam , lai uzķertu domas, bet par brīnumu tā nenotika, drīzāk otrādi aizvilka tādā kā domu lidojumā. Vērtīgi.

I really enjoyed this book, my expectations were maybe lower, since it can be considered as a SelfHelp book (do not get me wrong/ I enjoy them, especially the ones related to Psychology), which by genre can have similar topics and concepts as in the other books of this kind, but I was surprised about that it was really easy to read it. The book structure together with the overviews after each chapter ended + questions to Self-reflect was the really a way how to make a difficult topic easier to understand.
I would really recommend this book to other goodreaders.

[Bart Van Loon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really one of the best business books I have read. First this: Clark writes in a captivating and concise way. Important for me personally too, is that he applies the principle-first style, and not the ubiquitous application-first one. Rare these days, but so refreshing.

About the content then. Psychological safety is an often misunderstood concept, or at least incompletely understood one. Most leaders I come across know about the term, but usually get stuck around the level of learner safety: "it should be possible to ask stupid questions without having to fear for your job" or something similar is uttered as the summary of psychological safety. There is so much more to discover however, and this book guides you through the four stages in an elegant way.

I truly recommend this book to anyone working with other human beings.

[Jourdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because it really provided a nice framework to define a path to inclusion and innovation. As a disability inclusion consultant, this book was very relevant and it is a tool that I will continue to reference because of the valuable information. The key questions and concepts embedded throughout the book were great because it kept me engaged. I absolutely loved this part of the book, "the basic decision to include or exclude is not about skill or personality, although those things can enhance your ability to include. It's more about intent than technique." This was such a powerful statement. I highly recommend this book! It is an easy read, thought provoking, and a great tool you can apply in all areas of life.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was given this book for free

While I did not find this to be an "easy" read, I really enjoyed it. Many books on psychological safety focus solely on the WHY and not so much on the HOW. This book helps the reader find real steps to take in achieving psychological safety in the workplace with examples. I like how the write challenges the reader to lean into their own behaviors ad encourages you to be honest with yourself by asking tough questions. It definitely doesn't pull any punches, which is needed in this space.

While the writing was a bit difficult for me to keep up with (average reader!), and it took some work for me to absorb, the list of key concepts and key questions at the end of each chapter were helpful in understanding the message.

[Susan Wilson]

The key concept is that “people flourish when they’re participating in a cooperative system with high psychological safety”. Essentially (1) include others as who they are, (2) create an environment that creates the curiosity and willingness to be brave in personal learning, (3) give people permission to work independently and use their own judgement and then value their ability to create value and (4) actively encourage respectful dissent because it stimulates the innovation. It’s a great (and practical) framework. I particularly appreciated the advise nearing the end of the book that you need to “love yourself first” - give yourself the respect and permission required to have inclusion safety. Great read and will use.

[Jooyun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book and agreed on everything the author pointed out to become a successful organization that promotes inclusion and innovation. Don't we all want to work for such a company? As much as I want to be treated with inclusion, safety to learn, opportunity to contribute and challenge status quo, I should treat others the same. I didn't have much expectation before I started reading the book but once I started, I couldn't put it down. I would very much love to see more and more leaders with conviction for psychological safety of team they lead. Workplace environment and thus leaders' values are crucial to individual, family's and the society's health. Book also challenged me to look others with "fresh amazement."

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, well-researched and well-documented, offers what to me is a solid perspective on "psychological safety" which has emerged as an important topic in both organization development and leadership in the past few years. What makes it even more compelling is Clark's point that psychological safety is fundamentally important to innovation.

Particularly powerful to me is Clark's fundamental premise that all of us--simply because of our humanity--need to be accepted for who we are if we are to learn, grow and contribute. Along the way he presents some compelling evidence of the adverse effects of lack of inclusion for families, organizations and society.

[Robert Bogue]

There are no silver bullets – and even if there were, it wouldn’t be very safe to shoot them. The path to developing psychological safety isn’t easy, but Timothy Clark offers some practical steps and advice on how to build psychological safety in The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation.

Read more

[Tracy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the one!

This is the leadership book to read if you only read one this year. This concept is absolutely essential to effectiveness in professional and personal relationships and business success, and this book lays it out in a beautifully clear, well organized way. I particularly appreciated the strong structure and attention on “key concepts” and “key questions” that made the material so easy to digest and yet so thought provoking. It is an easy read, but it will really make you think. I’d give it six stars if I could.