A few years ago, I sat with the leadership team of an Estonian growth company in a meeting room. The topic was significant — whether to enter a new market or not. The CEO opened the meeting with his own opinion. Fifteen minutes later, everyone agreed. The decision was made quickly and unanimously.

Six months later, it turned out to be the wrong decision. And three people in that room had known it at the time.

They just didn’t say anything.

This is not a rare story. It is a very common one.

Why smart people stay silent

Good leaders often get worse results than their teams are capable of delivering. Not because they are poor decision-makers. But because they don’t get access to all the information.

Groupthink is a silent killer. It doesn’t come from bad intentions. It comes from the fact that people want to belong. They want to be liked. They don’t want to be the one who breaks the consensus.

When the leader speaks first, they send a message: “This is my opinion. Your job is to confirm it.” Even if they don’t mean it that way. Even when they say: “But please share your views too.”

Hierarchy doesn’t leave the room just because the leader asks for honesty.

In terms of results, this is costly. Companies leave money on the table because decisions are made with incomplete information. Projects fail because problems were spotted long ago — but no one said anything.

Three ways to create an environment where the team tells the truth

1. As a leader, speak last — not first.

Ask for input before sharing your own view. Listen to everyone. Only then add your perspective. This one habit changes the dynamics more than any team training day.

2. Make criticism cheap.

When someone brings bad news, thank them publicly. When someone pushes back and they’re right — say so. People quickly learn what behaviour is actually rewarded. Not what the leader says. But what the leader does.

3. Build rituals for honest feedback.

An Estonian logistics company introduced a simple habit: at the end of every project, a 20-minute “what went wrong” session where the leader speaks first — about their own mistakes. Not the team’s mistakes. Their own. Within two quarters, that room became one where problems were raised early — not only once fixing them had become expensive.

Psychological safety is a business question

Psychological safety sounds soft. In reality, it is a strategic advantage.

Teams where people dare to speak up learn faster. They respond to problems earlier. They make better decisions. Not because the people are smarter — but because information flows.

Google spent years studying what makes teams effective. The answer was not talent or experience. It was psychological safety — the sense that you can speak without being punished.

That sense doesn’t emerge on its own. It is built by the leader. Every day. In every meeting.

If you don’t know whether that sense exists in your team — ask. Not “do you feel safe?” But: “When did you last leave something unsaid that you should have said?”

The answer says everything.

If you want to work through this topic more deeply with your leadership team, write to me. This is the work I do every day — and I see what changes when it’s done right.