Psychological Safety with Dr. Timothy Clark
Dr. Timothy Clark is an Oxford-trained social scientist, author, and international authority in the fields of psychological safety and innovation, large scale change and transformation, and senior leadership development. He is the Founder and CEO at LeaderFactor, and is a highly sought-after advisor, coach and facilitator to CEOs around the globe. His latest book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, guides leaders through the process of building psychological safety in their organizations. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share how leaders can create an environment where employees feel included, fully engaged, and encouraged to do their best.Marcel is grateful for the spirit of humanity and how resilient humans are in the face of adversity. His home was recently adversely affected by a tornado, and his friends, relatives, neighbors and even strangers offered whatever they could to assist him and his family. The best of what humanity had to offer showed up and came to his aid, he says. The human spirit in our DNA rises up with strength and courage in this time of crisis to help others in need. [4:16]Principles are aspects or elements of truth in leadership; they are eternal and unchanging constants. [8:24]Psychological safety is inexpensive authenticity: being yourself without any economic, emotional, social and political expense. [12:13]Safety is holistic, Tim says. After a devastating experience early in his career, he realized it was his stewardship to help create, curate and protect a culture that would provide psychological safety to the members of an organization. It’s a sacred stewardship every leader has, he adds. [14:51]“Innovation is never easy to think of; it requires creative abrasion and constructive dissent processes that rely on high intellectual friction and low social friction,” Marcel quotes from Tim’s book. Tim describes the terms and shares that each one builds on the next. [16:16]The four stages of psychological safety are: Inclusion Safety, Learner Safety, Contributor Safety, and Challenger Safety. Tim describes and explains each stage, sharing the research behind them.[19:18]The absence of psychological safety eventually negatively affects one’s mental health and emotional well-being. It poses a hindrance to personal and professional development, which profoundly impacts one’s overall sense of self. [30:50]Marcel asks if there can be too much unhealthy psychological safety. Tim responds that sometimes people misinterpret psychological safety as absence of accountability. Rather, it involves a high tolerance for candor, and maintains respect and mutual accountability. [31:32]Psychological safety is a form of industrialized love. [37:09]Leading a team in a virtual environment requires a high tolerance for candor. [40:01]“I know of no rights of race that are superior to the rights of humanity,” Tim quotes. We divide ourselves by differences which are arbitrary distinctions that we need to get rid of. [43:50]A leader is not based on title or position or authority; leaders must recognize that their influence is profound and that if they do not lead the way, then they will only get in the way. [44:29]ResourcesDr. Timothy Clark on LinkedIn | TwitterLeaderFactor.comThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and InnovationThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Guide