Creating an environment of psychological safety is paramount. That takes time. It starts with you. Be intentional about being transparent and vulnerable. Own your mistakes and make them okay to talk about. Throw out the first crazy idea in a brian storming session. Celebrate what you want to see more of. Don’t tolerate and nip anything that hurts the team.

Create a safe, non-judgmental space for open communication. Encourage anonymous feedback to build initial comfort. Model vulnerability and openness by sharing your own areas for growth. Actively listen and show appreciation when feedback is given. -Follow up with visible actions to show feedback is valued and leads to change. Conclusion - Building trust, leading by example, and acting on feedback strengthens leadership and fosters a culture of honesty.

As a founder, I’ve learned that feedback doesn’t flow when people are afraid of how you’ll react. So what I do is: I don’t ask, “Any feedback?” Instead, I ask, “What’s one thing I could be doing better?” It shifts the tone from judgment to invitation. Also, don’t just say feedback is welcome. Prove it. When someone shares something uncomfortable, thank them and act on it. That’s how trust builds. The culture follows the behavior you reward.

At a previous company, I noticed our Monday meetings were oddly quiet, everyone nodded, but few spoke up. So, I shared one of my own leadership mistakes and what I learned from it. That moment opened the floodgates. I made “failure stories” a regular part of our catch-ups, and slowly, others joined in. It shifted our culture, feedback became less scary and more of an opportunity to learn. We also then rewarded these behaviours through monthly awards The results - my retention rates dropped and performance improved My go-to strategy? 1. Model vulnerability, 2. Reward honesty, 3. Create spaces where feedback isn’t just safe, it’s expected. That’s how trust grows, and with it, performance.