The Power of Psychological Safety | Minette Norman | 585

Leveraging Thought Leadership

In this episode of the Thought Leadership Leverage podcast, host Peter Winick chats with Minette Norman, an author, keynote speaker, and leadership consultant with decades of experience leading global technical teams in the software industry.

Minette shares her journey from a stellar tech career to becoming an influential voice in inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and collaborative teams. Despite her success in tech, she realized many leaders were ill-prepared for their roles. As she advanced, the lack of proper leadership training became evident, and she often found herself and others navigating leadership by trial and error. When faced with a manager who didn’t appreciate her contributions, she chose to leave and focus on helping others become better leaders through her books, speaking engagements, and consulting.

Minette emphasizes the need for better leadership training and creating pathways for individual contributors to advance without necessarily moving into leadership roles. She discusses the importance of learning from poor leadership examples and using those experiences as lessons on what not to do.

Minette’s consulting work often begins with addressing issues of inclusivity within companies. She recalls working with a company where women felt they lacked opportunities for advancement and were often relegated to note-taking roles in meetings. By promoting inclusive meeting practices, she helped shift the company culture.

Her approach to consulting varies but always centers around inclusion, psychological safety, and creating environments where diverse teams can thrive. She notes that while psychological safety is now a buzzword, understanding its importance isn’t enough. There’s a need for practical guidance, which led her and Karolin Helbig to write "The Psychological Safety Playbook," providing actionable steps to foster safe spaces at work.

Minette’s latest book, "Inclusive Leader," serves as both a resource and a calling card, drawing new clients who want to bring her expertise into their organizations.

Three Key Takeaways: • Inclusive Leadership is Crucial: Minette Norman emphasizes the importance of fostering inclusive leadership and psychological safety in the workplace. Creating an environment where diverse voices are heard and valued is essential for team success and employee well-being. • Practical Guidance for Psychological Safety: While the concept of psychological safety is widely recognized, Minette and her co-author Karolin Helbig identified a gap in practical guidance. Their book, "The Psychological Safety Playbook," provides actionable steps for leaders to create safe spaces where employees can speak up and contribute fully. • Learning from Poor Leadership: Experiences with poor leaders can be valuable lessons. By observing and understanding what ineffective leadership looks like, individuals can avoid those pitfalls and strive to become better leaders themselves.