Why psychological safety matters
Explore why psychological safety is a leadership responsibility and how it directly shapes team engagement, innovation, retention, and wellbeing.
Lead with intention and build the trust, inclusion, and psychological safety your team needs to thrive.
About this Talk
Leaders play a critical role in shaping workplace culture and protecting employee well-being. Psychological safety isn’t just a concept, it’s a leadership responsibility. When leaders foster trust, inclusion, and open communication within their teams, employees feel empowered to contribute, take risks, and perform at their best.
In this interactive session, Dr. Howatt explores the essential behaviors that make leaders a protective factor for psychological health and safety (PHS) within their teams. Attendees will learn how psychological safety drives engagement, innovation, and retention, and will gain the tools to identify key leadership behaviors that build or break trust and inclusion. Participants will also learn to recognize workplace hazards that impact the employee experience and will leave with concrete, actionable strategies to lead with empathy, navigate challenges, and create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Attendees leave with practical, evidence-based skills they can apply immediately.
Explore why psychological safety is a leadership responsibility and how it directly shapes team engagement, innovation, retention, and wellbeing.
Recognize the specific behaviors leaders demonstrate that either strengthen or undermine psychological safety and inclusion on their teams.
Understand the psychosocial factors and hazards that affect how employees experience safety, wellbeing, and belonging at work.
Leave with concrete, actionable approaches to foster psychological safety, navigate challenges, and support employees in meaningful ways.
SESSION BREAKDOWN
The session begins by exploring what psychological safety means in the context of leadership, and why leaders are a critical protective factor for their teams' mental health and wellbeing.
Participants examine the key behaviors that either foster or undermine trust, inclusion, and open communication, and how these behaviors shape the overall psychological health and safety of a team.
This section equips attendees with actionable strategies to lead with empathy, recognize and address workplace hazards, and build an environment where employees feel consistently valued, heard, and supported.
Your Speaker
Ph.D., Ed.D.
Dr. Bill Howatt is an internationally recognized authority on workplace mental health with more than 30 years of clinical experience supporting employers, HR teams, and psychological safety initiatives. A researcher, author, and practitioner, he is known for delivering evidence-based, highly practical insights that help organizations build healthier, more resilient workplaces.
Dr. Bill is the former Chief of Research, Workforce Productivity, at The Conference Board of Canada, and the former Chief of Research and Development, Workforce Productivity, at Lifeworks. He has created the senate approved Certificate in Psychologically Safe Leadership and Certificate in Management Essentials, Pathway to Coping and Mental Fitness through the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Bill is the Chair of the CSA Technical Committee on the Management of Impairment Standard, CSA Technical Committee Member for the Psychological Health and Safety Standard and is a member of the CSA Strategic Steering Committee for Occupational Health and Safety. Dr. Howatt completed his B.Sc. Physical Education, B.A., M.Ed. Counseling Psychology, M.Sc. Clinical Psychology, and his Ph.D.s in Counselling Psychology and Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Ed.D., He also completed a Post Doctorate Behavioral Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Howatt openly shares his personal challenges with mental health and neurodivergence in his recently published book, Stop Hiding and Start Living: How to Say F-it to Fear and Develop Mental Fitness. He is the author of over 50 books and 500 articles, including a regular column with Talent Canada, OHS Magazine, The Chronicle Herald, HR News Canada and The Globe and Mail. His approach to workplace mental health is not only evidence-based, but also grounded in lived experiences, making it both practical and relatable.
KEEP EXPLORING
Let’s discuss your needs and find the perfect fit to bring wellness to your team.
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