My team is highly competent but everyone works in a silo, refusing to ask for help or admit mistakes until it is too late. How do I get them to open up and share vulnerability?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team that refuses to admit mistakes is suffering from a lack of psychological safety. According to author Daniel Coyle, high-performing groups are built on shared vulnerability and safety cues. If your leaders feel that admitting a mistake will damage their status or invite criticism, they will hide problems until they become disasters. To break this pattern, you must build safety through deliberate action. Use the trust creation process outlined by Charles H. Green, which emphasizes focusing on others and embracing risk-taking. As the leader, you must go first. Share a personal failure or a decision you regret during your next quarterly session. When a team member finally takes the risk to admit a mistake or ask for help, immediately reward that behavior. Thank them publicly for their transparency and transition straight into IDS to solve the issue collaboratively. Make it clear that the only unacceptable behavior is hiding a problem. Over time, these safety cues will change the team dynamic. Your leaders will spend less energy on status management and more energy solving real problems together.