A common misconception about psychological safety is that it means creating a workplace where people are never challenged, never uncomfortable, and never pushed beyond their comfort zones.

In reality, psychological safety isn’t about making work easy—it’s about making it safe to do hard things. High-performing teams don’t thrive in constant comfort. They succeed when people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, take risks, and engage in tough conversations—without fear of blame or punishment.

However, psychological safety alone isn’t enough. Without accountability, it can lead to a culture of avoidance and low standards. On the other hand, accountability without psychological safety creates anxiety, burnout, and disengagement.

Striking the right balance between these two factors is what enables teams to perform at their best. Here’s how that balance works in practice.

Psychological safety and accountability must co-exist

Workplaces that prioritise either psychological safety or accountability in isolation create environments that hinder performance. Both are essential for a culture where people feel safe to contribute while also taking responsibility for delivering results.

When psychological safety is high but accountability is low, teams may feel comfortable speaking up, but without a sense of ownership, ideas and discussions rarely translate into meaningful action. This is the comfort zone—a space where collaboration exists, but performance stagnates.

On the other hand, when accountability is high but psychological safety is low, fear of failure stifles creativity and innovation. Employees may be productive in the short term, but stress, disengagement, and burnout quickly follow. This is the anxiety zone, where mistakes are punished rather than treated as learning opportunities.

Neither extreme is sustainable. The growth zone—where teams thrive—is only possible when psychological safety and accountability exist together. In this environment, employees feel safe to take risks, challenge ideas, and learn from mistakes, but also take ownership of their work and drive results.

The four workplace zones: Where does your team operate?

Every workplace culture falls into one of four zones, depending on the levels of psychological safety and accountability present. Understanding these zones helps leaders recognise where their teams currently stand—and what adjustments are needed to create a high-performance environment.

1. The apathy zone (low psychological safety + low Accountability)

Employees feel disconnected and unmotivated.
There’s little risk-taking, innovation, or ownership.
Mistakes are avoided, but not because of fear—simply because people don’t care enough to try.
Example: A team that goes through the motions without passion, engagement, or responsibility for outcomes.
2. The comfort zone (high psychological safety + low accountability)
People feel safe to speak up, but there’s no real drive to execute.
Conversations happen, but there’s little follow-through.
Mistakes are tolerated, but not actively learned from.
Example: A team that enjoys brainstorming but struggles to turn ideas into results.
3. The anxiety zone (low psychological safety + high accountability)
Employees feel pressured to perform but are afraid to take risks.
Mistakes are punished rather than treated as learning opportunities.
There’s a fear of speaking up, leading to a lack of innovation.
Example: A workplace where people work hard but feel constant stress and avoid difficult conversations.
4. The growth zone (high psychological safety + high accountability) 
Employees feel safe to challenge ideas, admit mistakes, and take risks.
There’s a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
High standards exist, but they’re upheld through commitment rather than fear.
Example: A high-performing team where people own their work, support one another, and continuously push for better results.
Creating a growth zone requires both psychological safety and accountability—one cannot thrive without the other.

How leaders can build both psychological safety and accountability

Creating a growth zone doesn’t happen by accident. Leaders must actively shape an environment where people feel safe to speak up and take responsibility for delivering results. Here are some key strategies to achieve this balance:

1. Set clear expectations
Clarity is the foundation of accountability. Every team member should understand their role, responsibilities, and what success looks like. Without clear expectations, there’s a psychosocial risk of role confusion and uncertainty.

Action: Define team goals, individual responsibilities, and the standards that everyone is expected to uphold.

2. Encourage open communication
People will only speak up if they feel safe to do so. Leaders should foster a culture where asking questions, challenging ideas, and admitting mistakes are seen as essential to growth.

Action: Lead by example—share personal challenges, ask for feedback, and show that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.

3. Recognise and reward effort, not just outcomes
Acknowledging contributions reinforces both psychological safety and accountability. If recognition only happens when things go well, people may avoid taking risks. Instead, leaders should celebrate learning, effort, and constructive problem-solving.

Action: Publicly recognise individuals who challenge ideas, ask great questions, or take ownership of mistakes in a way that helps the team grow.

4. Foster inclusive leadership

Psychological safety won’t exist if employees don’t feel included. Leaders should actively seek out different perspectives, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued.

Action: Use structured discussions, actively invite quieter team members to contribute, and avoid favouring dominant voices.

5. Provide Constructive Feedback

Feedback should drive learning, not fear. Growth-oriented accountability focuses on improvement rather than punishment, making it clear that mistakes are part of progress.

Action: Frame feedback as advice.
Requests for advice elicit more constructive input than requests for feedback. Feedback tends to focus on how well you did in the past. Advice shifts attention to how you can do better in the future

6. Promote a learning environment

A culture of high performance is built on continuous improvement. When setbacks occur, the focus should be on learning, not blame.

Action: Encourage teams to reflect on challenges, analyse what worked (and what didn’t), and make necessary adjustments—rather than avoiding risk altogether.

When leaders set clear expectations, encourage open communication, and model accountability through their own actions, teams naturally shift into the growth zone—where performance, collaboration, and innovation thrive.

The real measure of success: A culture of growth

High-performing teams don’t exist in a state of constant ease or relentless pressure—they operate in the growth zone, where people feel safe to take risks, challenge ideas, and take responsibility for delivering results.

Leaders who understand the synergy between psychological safety and accountability create workplaces where:

• Speaking up is encouraged, but action is expected.
• Mistakes are acknowledged, but learning from them is non-negotiable.
• People feel supported, but also committed to excellence.

Getting this balance right isn’t about good intentions—it requires deliberate leadership. With the right strategies, teams don’t just perform better—they innovate, collaborate, and grow.

The question for leaders isn’t whether to focus on psychological safety or accountability. The real question is: How will both be built together?