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chris@chriskolenda.com
What Happens When Your Team Doesn’t Speak Up?
Want a stronger culture? Start by encouraging disagreement and speaking up.
“Insurgents who reintegrate (i.e., agree to join the Afghan government) will become local police,” the general announced. “Just like Iraq. Are there any questions?”
Senior officers around the table nodded in agreement. A few guessed what would happen next: bands of thugs would claim to be Taliban fighters, agree to “reintegrate,” and then become U.S.-funded, Afghan government-sanctioned thugs.
There was no point in speaking up again. No one was listening.
Sure enough, the well-intentioned program created more predatory behavior and disillusionment with the Afghan government.
Have you ever left a meeting feeling like people were holding back?
You asked for input. You gave space. But something wasn’t landing—and no one said what needed to be said.
I’ve seen the cost of this silence in the military and business: missed risks, unforced errors, lost innovation, and disengagement. And the cause is often invisible. It’s not a lack of intelligence, resources, or skill. It’s a breakdown in something deeper: Psychological Confidence.
What Is Psychological Confidence?
Psychological Confidence is the shared belief that people can speak openly, be treated with respect, and know their voices matter, without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or being ignored.
It’s not about making everyone feel comfortable all the time. It’s about cultivating an environment where truth can be spoken, especially when it’s inconvenient, and where leaders invite challenges instead of being surprised by them.
This is the active engine behind high trust, initiative, and innovation. It lives at the intersection of three vital elements:
- Speak Openly
- Be Respectful
- Feel Heard
Next week, I’ll break these down with real-world examples—what happens when these elements are strong, and what happens when they’re missing.
Case Study
A manufacturing company promoted open and respectful dialogue on challenging issues, and we trained people in ways to resolve conflict and disagree agreeably.
They were confident in addressing their declining profitability.
During a strategy workshop, the leaders identified that waste and rework were the heart of the problem, so they implemented a system that defined what jobs met their standards. Anything outside of those parameters would require senior leader approval.
Today, profitability is rising, which allows the company to pay bigger bonuses and attract better talent.
Psychological Confidence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built—intentionally—through consistent, visible leadership.
This isn’t about being soft. It’s about being strong enough to foster truth, respect, and initiative in the people you lead.
When your team has Psychological Confidence, you’ll see fewer blind spots, more decisive execution, and a culture that sharpens itself over time.
The question isn’t just: “Do my people feel safe?”
It’s: “Do they feel confident enough to speak up—and know it will matter?”
That’s the kind of culture that wins in the long run.
Are you ready to strengthen your company’s psychological confidence?
If so, I invite you to join my Building Psychological Confidence masterclass on June 12th at 11 a.m. U.S. Central Time via Zoom. The fee is only $49 through May 31, and then it goes to $97.
All registrants get the video recording and visual models.
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