Psychological Safety and Experiential Learning – A Powerful Combination

Creating a psychologically safe space combined with experiential learning can lead to transformative leadership development, enabling participants to engage more deeply, reflect more openly, and grow more meaningfully.

In my recent leadership workshop with the senior management team (SMT) of Stovax Gazco, we incorporated several learning tools, including Nancy Kline’s “Creating a Thinking Environment,” RSVP Design’s “Images of an Organisation,” the Stakeholder empty chair analysis, visual thinking with leadership journeys and a few other experiential activities too for good measure!

The success of the workshop highlighted the immense value of fostering both psychological safety and hands-on, experiential learning.

No Fear

At the heart of psychological safety is the belief that people can share their thoughts, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of judgment or repercussion.

This concept, championed by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, is crucial for effective team dynamics and leadership development.

In a psychologically safe environment, participants feel free to be vulnerable, express their uncertainties, and explore new ways of thinking, which are essential elements of learning and growth.

During the workshop, Nancy Kline’s “Creating a Thinking Environment” played a pivotal role in establishing this safety.

The tool emphasises attentive listening, where individuals feel heard and respected.

By giving participants space to think and speak without interruption, it encourages them to engage fully and offer their best ideas.

When leaders are encouraged to think aloud in a judgment-free zone, they begin to stretch their thinking, explore new perspectives, and challenge existing assumptions.

This creates a fertile ground for innovation and leadership development.

A learning environment

Coupling psychological safety with experiential learning creates a dynamic environment where participants actively tested new skills and approaches.

Experiential learning focuses on doing, reflecting, and applying insights to real-life challenges. It is my experience that this active participation leads to deeper engagement and retention of knowledge.

For instance, RSVP Design’s “Images of an Organisation” allowed the SMT to visualise how they perceive their organisation.

Using metaphors and images, participants engaged in dialogue about their current structure and challenges. This visual approach not only sparked creativity but also made abstract organisational concepts more tangible. It was an engaging way for the team to understand and rethink their roles within the company, helping them to align on strategic priorities.

Similarly, the Stakeholder empty chair analysis was a powerful tool for empathy-building and team coaching. By placing an “empty chair” to represent key stakeholders, participants could envision the concerns, needs, and perspectives of others in their decision-making process. This experiential exercise deepened their understanding of the impact their leadership decisions have on others, fostering greater empathy and collaboration within the team.

Visual Thinking

The use of visual thinking with leadership journeys enriched the experience further by encouraging each member of the SMT to map their leadership development in a more creative and personal way.

This exercise allowed them to visually reflect on their growth, challenges, and aspirations. The combination of visual and experiential learning helped them to connect emotionally to their leadership roles, making the learning more memorable and impactful.

It is my experience that creating a psychologically safe space combined with experiential learning tools can and does have a profound effect on leadership development.

When participants feel safe to express themselves and are actively engaged in their learning process, they become more open to change, more creative in problem-solving, and more committed to applying their insights in real-world settings.

The Stovax Gazco leadership workshop exemplified how these two elements can come together to create a powerful, positive learning experience, ultimately leading to stronger, more empathetic leaders.