The power of saying I don’t know

What makes it possible for someone to admit a mistake at work?

In this Other Voices episode of The Well-Led Podcast, Stephanie Lemek and Dr. Benjamin Ritter explore how psychological safety shapes the employee experience. Stephanie explains why leaders create safety by acknowledging their own mistakes, uncertainty, and imperfection. Benjamin considers the relationship between a supportive environment and the responsibility each person holds for exercising self-leadership.

Together, their reflections show that psychological safety is more than avoiding conflict or telling people it is okay to fail. It allows people to speak candidly, take risks, ask questions, learn, contribute ideas, and work toward shared goals.

You’ll learn:

How physical, financial, and psychological safety affect employees

Why leaders need to demonstrate—not merely declare—that mistakes are acceptable

How psychologically unsafe cultures impose an extra tax on productive work

Why safety supports creativity, learning, and collaboration

How self-leadership can help people recognize and use the choices within their control

If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month.

Guest Information, listed alphabetically

Stephanie Lemek is the Founder & CEO of The Wounded Workforce®, a consultancy reshaping how employers approach mental health, trauma, and resilience at work. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Wounded Workforce's Center for Construction Mental Health™. Stephanie is a nationally recognized speaker and trusted advisor on trauma-informed leadership, bringing together research, practical strategy, and deep organizational insight to help leaders, HR, and frontline teams move from well-meaning to well-equipped.