Who is the author of The Fearless Organization?

The author of The Fearless Organization is Amy C. Edmondson.

Corporate Culture

The Fearless Organization Book Summary - The Fearless Organization Book explained in key points

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The Fearless Organization summary

Name: The Fearless Organization
Rating: 4.5 (441 reviews)
Author: Amy C. Edmondson

Amy C. Edmondson

Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth

4.5 (441 ratings)

20 mins

Brief summary

The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmondson is a management book that explores how to build a culture of psychological safety in the workplace, promoting honest communication, learning, and innovation, resulting in a more successful and resilient organization.

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Hiring Work Culture Promotion Teamwork

Table of Contents

The Fearless Organization
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Find out what it takes to inspire confidence in the workplace.

We live in a knowledge economy where success is a matter of solving problems and coming up with the next big idea. It’s not enough to be smart or hard-working, either. Organizations need their employees to collaborate, experiment, and respond to business needs that are constantly changing.

But in many offices and boardrooms, people lack the confidence to do exactly this, silenced by the fear of failure, judgmental colleagues, or unapproachable bosses.

These blinks introduce the concept of psychological safety and why it should be a feature of every work environment. Through research and examples from prominent businesses, the blinks break down the ways in which a culture of openness and support enables success, and what leaders can do to develop this in their own organizations.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

the playground habit that follows us to work;
why having a clueless boss helps; and
which company throws parties to celebrate flops.

Worrying about how we’re perceived prevents us from doing our best work.

Imagine you’re sitting in a strategy meeting. Your boss has shared some of the challenges that need to be addressed, and now she’s asking the team to come up with suggestions. You’ve got an idea, but you’re worried that others will think it’s no good. So, rather than risk it, you keep your thoughts to yourself.

Whether it happens in a meeting, a classroom, or even around a dinner table, most of us have experience of having something to say but holding back in case it made other people think less of us. We learn to do this early; as children, we start caring what our peers think and avoid saying or doing anything that could make us look silly, weak, or not as cool as everyone else.

By the time we’re adults, the habit of silencing and restricting ourselves is almost unconscious, and it prevents us from speaking up when we have ideas, questions, or concerns at work.

In a 2003 study into people speaking up in the workplace, academics Frances J. Milliken, Elizabeth W. Morrison, and Patricia F. Hewlin found that 85 percent of study participants felt unable to approach their bosses with concerns about work. The most common reason for this? The participants didn’t want their bosses to see them in a negative light.

Even seemingly confident people experience this. Take business innovator Nilofer Merchant; she was labeled a visionary by CNBC, and in 2013, she was awarded the Future Thinker Award by Thinkers50. But in a 2011 Harvard Business Review article, Nilofer shared that while working at Apple, she would keep quiet about problems she noticed because she didn’t want to be wrong. She’s quoted as saying, “I would rather keep my job by staying within the lines than say something and risk looking stupid.”

When fear gets in the way of people speaking up at work, it’s not only the individuals keeping silent who miss out. Companies also lose opportunities to generate new ideas, and this is especially dangerous in a world where businesses need to innovate if they want to succeed.

Psychological safety leads to better performance by both individuals and teams.

Let’s revisit that meeting from the previous blink. But this time, instead of worrying that your idea won’t be received well, you know for sure that your boss and colleagues will respond positively. If they like the idea, they’ll tell you so. And if it doesn’t hit the mark, they’ll give you constructive feedback.

In this ideal scenario, you and your colleagues have psychological safety – the shared feeling that you can freely express your thoughts and ideas, or make mistakes and ask for help without receiving negative reactions.

The absence of psychological safety can have terrible consequences for a company, its employees, and its customers.

Have you ever noticed something not right at work? Maybe your supervisor has made a mistake in a presentation. But she has a reputation for being harsh, so instead of pointing anything out, you go along quietly, afraid to rock the boat.

Unfortunately, many bosses think fear is a good leadership strategy. While the atmosphere that this creates is no picnic, there can be far worse consequences.

A fearless workplace starts with reframing failure and redefining the boss’s role.

How many times have you been told to do your best? We get this advice throughout our lives, from parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and even anonymous quotes on the internet. Rarely are we ever told to fail.

But being OK with failure at work is the first step in creating a fearless environment. When team leaders and bosses start talking about failure as something that happens often and as a learning opportunity, people become comfortable with taking risks, trying out new things, and openly discussing their mistakes.

When leaders are curious and admit that they don’t know everything, people are encouraged to speak up.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “No one likes a know-it-all,” and it can definitely be annoying to be around someone who thinks they have all the answers.

However, when the know-it-all is your boss, they’re not so much annoying as they are intimidating. Leaders who think they know everything intimidate people out of expressing ideas and opinions. And so a key component of a fearless workplace is a boss who openly says that they don’t have all the information or all the ideas. This makes it clear that they’re open to learning and hearing from other people.

When people take risks and speak up, it’s important for leaders to respond productively.

Picture a group of five-year-olds learning about shapes. Their teacher asks if anyone can name the shape on the chalkboard, and when a child shouts out the wrong shape, he’s instantly and bluntly dismissed. Do you think that child will try again? Probably not.

In the same way, people in the workplace can be discouraged if leaders don’t respond to input in the right way.

You don’t have to be a leader to help create a fearless work environment.

What would you do if you ruled the globe for a day? You probably have lots of great ideas for how to improve things if you were in charge but can’t imagine making a difference in the real world because you’re not in a high enough position of authority.

This frustrating feeling happens in the workplace, too. But the good news is that if you want to work in a less fearful environment, there are small steps you can take to help make this happen, even if you’re not the boss.

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What is The Fearless Organization about?

The Fearless Organization (2018) delves into psychological safety and how the workplace can become an environment in which everyone feels confident enough to pitch in and do their best. These blinks explain why people hold back on sharing their ideas at work, how this harms businesses, and how leaders can encourage a culture of openness, questioning, and experimentation that leads to learning and innovation.

The Fearless Organization Review

The Fearless Organization (2019) by Amy C. Edmondson is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in creating a culture of psychological safety in the workplace. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It provides compelling evidence and real-life case studies that demonstrate how psychological safety can lead to higher performance, innovation, and employee engagement.
With its practical advice and actionable strategies, the book offers readers a roadmap for fostering a culture of psychological safety in their organizations.
Through clear explanations and thought-provoking examples, the book effectively shows how leaders can cultivate an environment where people feel safe to take risks, speak up, and collaborate.

Best quote from The Fearless Organization

Those who are not the boss are seen as valued contributors, as people with crucial knowledge and insight.

—Amy C. Edmondson

Who should read The Fearless Organization?

Forward-thinking leaders who want to encourage innovation and learning
Human resources managers looking to get the most out of their talent
Team players interested in creating a supportive workplace

About the Author

Amy C. Edmondson is a professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School. She’s been repeatedly ranked as one of the world’s most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. She’s spent 20 years researching psychological safety, organizational learning, and leadership, and shared her expertise in publications such as the Harvard Business Review and the California Management Review. Edmondson is the author of Teaming and Teaming to Innovate, as well as the co-author of Building the Future and Extreme Teaming.

Categories with The Fearless Organization

Corporate Culture Psychology Management & Leadership

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