Why Your Team Isn’t Speaking Up (Even If You Think You’re Approachable)

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about psychological safety in a VUCA world. Most leaders sincerely believe they’re approachable. They keep an “open door.” They encourage transparency. They say, “Bring me the tough stuff.”

And yet - silence. Teams hesitate. Concerns get softened. Real issues surface days or weeks later. For leaders who genuinely care, this can feel confusing… even a little frustrating.

When people hold back, it’s rarely about confidence. It’s about calculated risk management.

In a VUCA environment - where volatility and uncertainty dial up the stakes - speaking up isn’t casual. It’s a decision. And your team is constantly running a silent equation:

Is this safe to say?

How will this land?

Will this get me labeled as negative, difficult, or “not a team player”?

Is this leader truly open to feedback… or just open in theory?

When the answers feel ambiguous, silence wins.

Here’s the leadership blind spot: Approachability isn’t defined by leaders. It’s defined by the people they lead.

The Psychology Behind the Quiet

Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson, known for her work on psychological safety, found that silence often comes from self-protection - not disengagement.

People care deeply about how they’re perceived. They want to add value without accidentally stepping on a landmine. They want to challenge ideas without challenging egos.

So they scan for risk. And that internal scan gets louder in environments shaped by layoffs, restructures, rapid change, or past leadership missteps.

This isn’t dysfunction. This is human behavior under uncertainty.

The Small, Unintentional Signals That Shut People Down

Most trust erosion is subtle. A collection of tiny leadership habits that accumulate over time:

🔸 Being visibly rushed or mentally elsewhere

🔸 Cutting someone off mid-thought

🔸 Answering only the safe half of a tough question

🔸 Jumping into problem-solving mode before acknowledging concerns

🔸 Reacting defensively when feedback stings

🔸 Saying “just bring it to me sooner next time” without exploring why they didn’t

Individually, these moments are small. Collectively, they shape an unspoken conclusion: This may not be a safe place to be fully honest.

So, What Reopens the Channel?

Leaders don’t need perfection. They need patterned behavior that reduces risk and increases trust.

⭐ Ask, “What am I missing?” — a surprisingly powerful phrase.

⭐ Respond to tough input with curiosity instead of judgment.

⭐ Share context, not spin. People can handle the truth.

⭐ Thank people for raising uncomfortable topics and do it publicly.

⭐ Follow up, follow through, and yes… follow up again.

⭐ Normalize uncertainty: “Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t.”

These small moves act like trust deposits. They signal: It’s safe to be real here.

If Trust Has Taken a Hit, Repair Is Absolutely Possible

Change, layoffs, mistakes, unclear communication - these all create natural dips in trust. But trust isn’t a one-and-done asset. It’s renewable.

It regrows through consistent behavior, transparency, and a willingness to acknowledge impact rather than gloss over it.

People don’t expect leaders to be flawless. They expect leaders to be honest, steady, and human.

The Bottom Line

If your team is quiet, don’t assume they’re disengaged. Assume they’re calculating.

Then ask the question every leader in a VUCA world needs to revisit regularly:

“What would make it feel safer for people to speak up here?”

Trust doesn’t come from an open door. It comes from open behavior - repeated until it becomes the cultural norm. That’s when teams start speaking up sooner, solving problems faster, and working with real confidence.