How to Build Psychological Safety and Stronger Teams with Tessa Kampen

Desi Payne
11 minutes ago
2 min read

How do great leaders build cohesive teams, create psychological safety, and work effectively with difficult people?

In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne talks with Tessa Kampen, facilitator and team engagement expert, about what it takes to create workplaces where people feel valued, understood, included, and energized.

Tessa shares why strong teams begin with understanding the people behind the job, not simply implementing better systems and processes. She explains the four stages of psychological safety, including inclusion safety, learner safety, challenger safety, and contributor safety, and why each one plays an important role in building trust and employee engagement.

You will also discover a powerful new way to think about difficult coworkers. Tessa challenges leaders to look in the mirror and ask, “What is it like on the other side of me?” before labeling someone else as difficult. She explains how curiosity, humility, self-awareness, and understanding can transform workplace relationships.

Plus, hear Tessa's memorable beach ball analogy for understanding another person's perspective and why understanding does not require agreement.

If you are a leader, manager, HR professional, team member, or anyone who wants to improve workplace culture, communication, trust, and connection, this episode is packed with practical leadership strategies you can use immediately.

In this episode, you'll learn: