How can you recognize a lack of Psychological Safety in your team? One of the signals is Fear of Failure. Here’s what that means.
They were the best of the best.
So they didn’t dare to risk trying something new.
Once upon a time, there was a team of highly skilled individuals. At a major financial institution, this group of top-tier external experts got the chance to work together.
Their mission? Build a state-of-the-art data lake.
They had the skills. The reputation. The price tag to match.
But there was a catch.
The environment was new.
The tech stack, the company culture, even the way of working — unfamiliar territory.
So they waited.
Refined.
Polished.
Held back version after version.
They didn’t want to look inexperienced, so they never gave the customer anything at all.
Weeks passed. Then months.
Still no release.
Still no feedback.
Still no value delivered.
And yet, the customers?
They would have loved the rough version.
They kept waiting. But no one told them why.
The signal
Why it is essential to signal this early?
This is what happens when teams are paralyzed by Fear of Failure.
Failure is not the opposite of success. It is the path to get there.
It is experience.
And experience is the only way to grow.
Just like learning a language, any new skill starts with discomfort.
You are bad before you are good.
And if you are never willing to be bad, you may never be anything at all.
Psychological Safety means normalizing the messiness of learning.
Releasing before it is perfect.
Failing forward.
What can you do?
If you recognize this… seek help.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for progress.
Start ugly. Ship small. Learn fast.