Cultivating Courage: How Leaders Can Create a "Speak-Up" Culture for Exceptional Results

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Abstract: This article examines how organizational silence threatens business success in today's complex environment, where employee reluctance to voice concerns impedes innovation and problem-solving. It explores the critical relationship between psychological safety and organizational performance, demonstrating how dissenting opinions drive adaptability while silence generates hidden costs through withheld information and diminished engagement. The authors present practical frameworks for leaders to assess cultural health through surveys and focus groups, while outlining specific leadership behaviors that foster courage: modeling open communication, encouraging constructive dissent, and addressing retaliation concerns. Through contrasting case studies of Netflix's candor-driven success and Wells Fargo's fear-based failure, the article provides actionable strategies for establishing diverse feedback channels and recognition systems that empower employees to speak up, ultimately arguing that a culture where people feel safe to voice their perspectives creates sustainable competitive advantage in rapidly evolving markets.

In today's fast-paced, complex business environment, an organization's ability to adapt and course-correct is crucial to its long-term success. However, this depends largely on leaders receiving honest, timely feedback from employees across all levels. When employees are afraid to voice concerns or share ideas out of fear of retribution, it stifles creativity and problem-solving, putting the entire company at risk. Such a “culture of silence” is a sign that something is deeply wrong with an organization's culture.

Today we will examine why employee fear and reluctance to speak up seriously hampers business performance and how leaders can cultivate a “speak-up” culture where people feel psychologically safe and empowered to share diverse perspectives. The ultimate goal is to help leaders assess their own cultures and make needed changes to develop engaged, innovative teams where people are not afraid to speak their minds.

Why Speaking Up Matters

Contributions of dissent and deviance to performance. Research has shown that dissenting or deviant opinions—defined as ideas or concerns that go against the grain of group norms or leadership assumptions—play a crucial role in organizational learning and adaptability (Detert & Burris, 2007; Morrison & Milliken, 2000). When employees feel empowered to question assumptions and processes, surface unpopular viewpoints, and constructively challenge the status quo, it allows companies to spot and correct problems before they escalate. This contributes directly to better decision-making, innovation, and ultimately stronger business results.

Hidden costs of silence. However, cultures where speaking up is discouraged or punished usually do so at great cost. Employees withhold critical information and new ideas out of self-preservation instead of sharing them for the good of the organization (Milliken, Morrison, & Hewlin, 2003). Resources are wasted fixing avoidable mistakes or adapting to changes too late. Employee engagement and motivation suffer when people feel unable to contribute fully (Cappelli & Rogovsky, 1998). Over time, this erodes trust between leadership and staff. The cumulative impact is lost opportunities for growth and competitive advantage.

Assessing Your Culture

Creating a survey to measure psychological safety. The first step for any leader wanting to cultivate courage is to assess the current culture objectively. Research suggests using an anonymous survey tool to measure elements like perceived psychological safety, or how comfortable employees feel taking risks and learning from mistakes without fear of negative consequences (Edmondson, 1999). Items gauge perceptions of respectful treatment by leaders and acceptance of diverse views. Aggregating anonymized results reveals cultural strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Conducting focus groups to identify barriers. Survey data should then be supplemented with qualitative focus groups to uncover specific barriers to speaking up (Lee et al., 2014). Well-moderated discussions allow staff across levels to comment freely, without fear of being identified. Common issues include lack of clear reporting channels, unclear leadership expectations, or concerns about reprisals. Leaders gain invaluable insights from listening without defensiveness to make targeted cultural changes.

Leadership Behaviors that Enable Courage

Role modeling open communication. The single biggest factor impacting a culture of courage is the behavior of top leadership (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006). When executives demonstrate active listening, acknowledgment of mistakes, willingness to have difficult conversations transparently and with empathy, it serves as a permission-giving model for the rest of the organization. Staff take cues that risk-taking will be supported, not punished.

Coaching and encouraging dissent. Leaders must also coach people directly on the value they provide through candid feedback and new perspectives (Detert & Burris, 2007). Asking targeted questions to solicit diverse viewpoints and course-correcting suggestions builds self-efficacy. Periodically checking in shows speaking up is not taken for granted. Providing favorable performance evaluations and promotions for those who challenge assumptions, even if politely, incentivizes courageous behavior.

Addressing retaliation concerns. Empathy and accountability are key for overcoming fears of retaliation. Leaders need to address confidentiality sensitively and reiterate a zero-tolerance policy on any reprisals (Milliken et al., 2003). Follow-through by seriously investigating all claims, irrespective of seniority of the accused, helps staff believe leaders have their well-being in mind over protecting any one person. Over time, this bolsters wider organizational integrity and justice perceptions too.

Practical Strategies for Building Trust

Establishing diverse feedback channels. Providing anonymous online forums, suggestion boxes, and multi-directional 360-degree feedback help give a voice to those hesitant to do so directly to leaders (Mishra & Mishra, 2013). In reality, preferring face-to-face interactions is understandable but also a barrier, so supplemental digital options lower the risk of speaking up.

Using inclusive language. Simple yet impactful steps like avoiding hierarchical or patronizing terminology signal approachability (Premeaux & Bedeian, 2003). Consistently referencing staff as “colleagues” or “partners” fosters psychological equality that allows for candor across ranks. Discouraging language like “my team” communicates an open door policy.

Recognizing speaker courage publicly. Call-out systems to celebrate those who raise valuable issues or share creative potential solutions, regardless of whether adopted, motivates employees to contribute their discretionary effort more freely (Ford & Ford, 1995). Public acknowledgement underscores the message that risk-taking is appreciated, not something to be ashamed of. Over time, this makes speaking up seen as a source of pride.

Case Studies: Successes and Failures

Netflix’s culture of candor. As an organization widely known for its innovative spirit and extraordinary business results, Netflix exemplifies a high-trust, high-performance speak-up culture (Fiss & Zajac, 2005). Leadership there actively works to create psychological safety by making candid peer feedback an accepted norm and using technologies to surface staff concerns anonymously. As a result, employees feel confident raising issues without censure, leading to nimble problem-solving.

Wells Fargo's culture of fear. In contrast, Wells Fargo's notorious culture of unreasonable sales quotas and punishment of underperformers suppressed internal dissent and accountability for years (Kellogg, 2012). Workers who voiced concerns about unethical practices faced hostility or termination, so problems festered unaddressed until the situation exploded into a massive consumer fraud scandal. This starkly highlights how a climate of silence ultimately protects no one and breaks trust with stakeholders.

Conclusion

Leaders play a decisive role in shaping the culture of their organizations—for better or worse—through the signals and behaviors they consciously and unconsciously promote. While change may take time, small but regular efforts to create a “speak up” environment where employees feel respected, safe, and empowered to honestly contribute their expertise help companies achieve truly innovative success on a sustainable basis. With the global business landscape evolving rapidly, an organization's ability to learn from diverse opinions will increasingly define its competitive advantage. By cultivating courage at all levels, visionary leaders empower their people and organizations to achieve more together than anyone could alone.

References

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10. Morrison, E. W., & Milliken, F. J. (2000). Organizational silence: A barrier to change and development in a pluralistic world. Academy of Management Review, 25(4), 706–725.

11. Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941–966.

12. Premeaux, S. F., & Bedeian, A. G. (2003). Breaking the silence: The moderating effects of self-monitoring in predicting speaking up in the workplace. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1537–1562.  

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Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.

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Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2026). Cultivating Courage: How Leaders Can Create a "Speak-Up" Culture for Exceptional Results. Human Capital Leadership Review, 21(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.21.2.7