Courageous Cultures Book Review

You have probably heard of psychological safety. It is a place where people feel safe to speak up. However, it is mainly created by leaders. But even if this space is made, there will be people who won’t speak up. And it is the story of this book. Leaders, while creating psychological safety, will also need to develop courageous team players who are willing to speak up. But how do you do it? By the way, speaking up is to address a problem that affects people, not simply complaining almost about everything. It is the result of an intentional act.

Even though the book comes up with a framework, I think the answer can be boiled down to several simple changes:

  1. As a leader, listen more.
  2. Intentionally ask everyone’s opinions. Don’t let the entire oxygen get sucked by a few individuals in your teams.
  3. Constantly clarify the plans, goals, and ideas.
  4. Ask strategic questions to push curiosity in people.
  5. Welcome ideas. Treat them from these aspects: I: Interesting, D: Doable, E: Engaging, and A: Actions. Ask to learn more instead of dismissing them.
  6. Empower them, keep them accountable but also verify the work.

All these also boil down to the following three:

  1. Listen
  2. Ask
  3. Act

Good book. Nothing novel but organizes thoughts about developing encouragement.