Episode 135: Psychological Safety at Work: Leadership vs. Personal Responsibility—Who Holds the Key? (Interview with Greg Riley)

2025-03-18

We hear a lot about psychological safety in the workplace—how leaders need to create environments where people feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas, and innovate. But is that entirely a leadership responsibility, or do employees have their own role to play?In this episode, I sit down with Greg Riley, a leadership coach, to break down what true psychological safety looks like in organizations. Greg shares why only 10% of people are natural leaders, but most can be trained to develop empathy, active listening, and compassionate l...

In this episode, I sit down with Greg Riley, a leadership coach, to break down what true psychological safety looks like in organizations. Greg shares why only 10% of people are natural leaders, but most can be trained to develop empathy, active listening, and compassionate leadership—if they are willing to do the work.

But there’s a missing piece in most workplace wellbeing discussions: Personal responsibility. Greg argues that no matter how psychologically safe a workplace is, if people are sleep-deprived, stressed, undernourished, and inactive, they will still struggle to communicate, regulate emotions, and feel engaged.

In this episode, we explore:

· What psychological safety really is (and what it isn’t)

· Why most leaders aren’t naturally great at it—but can be trained

· How to build a culture of safety & trust in the workplace

· The limits of leadership responsibility—why employees must own their own wellbeing

· The four pillars of personal wellbeing that support psychological safety

· Practical strategies for leaders & teams to create a resilient workplace

Who is this for?
Leaders & managers looking to improve team trust and engagement
HR professionals designing wellbeing programs that actually work
Employees who want to understand their role in a psychologically safe culture
Anyone interested in high-performance leadership & team dynamics

Final Thought:
Psychological safety starts with leadership, but it can’t stop there. If employees don’t take care of their own wellbeing, even the best workplace culture won’t prevent burnout, miscommunication, or disengagement.”

Want to work with Greg. Links below

Website - http://www.gregriley.com.au/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-riley-518b2417?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

If you have a question for the podcast or are interested in working with Matt, you can reach out at: