Coaching Psychological Safety

Christian Idiodi sits down with executive coach and author Kate Leto to discuss how psychological safety drives high-performing product teams. Through concrete examples, they demystify the concept and show how deliberate acts of trust, candor, and shared accountability unlock real-world results.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
• What psychological safety is and why it matters
• Signs your team does or does not have psychological safety
• The relationship between psychological safety, trust, and accountability
• Common misconceptions around this topic
• Tactical advice for leaders and team members
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References:
• Emotional Self Control Probably Doesn’t Mean What You Think: https://www.kateleto.com/articles/emotional-self-control-probably-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-but-its-an-essential-skill-for-leaders
• Google’s Project Aristotle: https://psychsafety.com/googles-project-aristotle/
• Hiring Product Managers: Using Product EQ to Go Beyond Culture and Skills: https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-Product-Managers-beyond-culture/dp/B09RFYCGL9
• Self-Awareness Revisited: https://www.kateleto.com/articles/what-the-heck-is-self-awareness-and-why-should-you-care-part-2
• What is Self-Awareness and Why Should You Care? https://www.kateleto.com/articles/what-is-self-awareness
• What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety: https://hbr.org/2025/05/what-people-get-wrong-about-psychological-safety
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Where to find SVPG:
• SVPG’s new book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/
• Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/
• Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/
• Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/
• Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
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Where to find Kate Leto:
• Books and insights: https://www.kateleto.com/books-and-insights
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateleto/
• Website: https://www.kateleto.com/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:42) What is psychological safety
(02:11) Why psychological safety matters in work environments
(03:16) How psychological safety enables diverse perspectives
(05:12) Google's research on high-performing teams
(06:13) Differentiating trust from psychological safety
(08:04) Diagnosing the root cause of low psychological safety
(10:48) How leaders can create psychological safety
(13:04) Overcoming the hero complex as a leader
(16:23) How leaders can share ideas without creating directive
(17:31) Achieving psychological safety and accountability
(19:22) Can you have too much psychological safety?
(23:29) How teams can create psychological safety
(27:00) Modeling vulnerability authentically as a leader
(29:27) Closing thoughts and key takeaways
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Disclaimer:
While this podcast is named “Product Therapy,” it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/
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Production:
• Production by supermix.io