Avoiding tough conversations might feel like keeping the peace, but over time it erodes psychological safety, dilutes accountability, and weakens organizational culture. While many leaders hope to preserve harmony or avoid conflict, sidestepping tough feedback or accountability moments often erodes the very culture they aim to protect. This post explores how avoiding these conversations undermines accountability and psychological safety, and offers strategies for building healthier, more resilient organizations.
Let’s be honest—no one enjoys delivering difficult feedback or confronting a peer or team member about poor performance or misalignment. Even seasoned leaders admit to delaying conversations they know are necessary. Why?
Fear of emotional fallout. Concern over damaging trust. Uncertainty about how to frame the message. These are valid and deeply human hesitations.
As Liane Davey notes in The Good Fight, conflict avoidance often stems from wanting to “keep the peace”—but over time, that peace becomes a false one. Leaders internalize discomfort instead of distributing it productively, and that internalized tension seeps into team dynamics.
→ Hear directly from Liane Davey on why productive conflict is essential to team success—and how to approach it with purpose. Watch our Work Better Together webinar with Liane to gain practical tools you can start applying right away.
When tough conversations are deferred, cultural clarity declines. Team members may wonder what standards are being upheld—or worse, whether any are at all. Accountability becomes uneven, and high performers begin to disengage when they see inconsistent feedback or inaction on team issues.
Avoidance doesn't just lead to ambiguity; it breeds resentment and erosion of trust. Leaders send a message—often unintentionally—that uncomfortable truths are better left unsaid. This undermines performance management, talent development, and ultimately the business’s ability to evolve.
A common misconception in leadership is that being “safe” means avoiding discomfort. But that’s not what psychological safety means.
Amy Edmondson’s work clarifies that psychological safety is not the absence of tension—it’s the freedom to express dissent, raise concerns, and be candid without fear of retribution. Without that openness, teams stagnate, and innovation suffers.
In fact, avoiding difficult conversations can reduce psychological safety by introducing unspoken norms, inconsistency, and a fear-based culture. True accountability supports safety—it signals that standards matter, and that everyone is committed to growth.
So how can leaders lean into the discomfort without causing damage? While there's no script for every scenario, there are reliable principles that can make these conversations more effective—and even transformative.
→If you’re working through change, you may also benefit from this resource: Practical Strategies for Leaders to Overcome Resistance During Change
Culture is shaped by what leaders tolerate—and what they model. If senior leaders avoid difficult discussions, that norm trickles down. Teams begin to interpret silence as acceptance.
Leadership development must include the capacity for honest dialogue, especially in high-stakes or emotionally charged situations. When leaders step up to deliver feedback with transparency and empathy, they signal to the organization that learning and accountability are valued more than comfort.
→Two Pillars of Successful Change Leadership offers further insight into the behaviours that sustain high-trust, adaptive cultures.
Avoiding hard conversations is human—but can be harmful. In a time when organizations are striving to be more agile, inclusive, and purpose-driven, leaders can no longer afford to defer discomfort.
Courageous conversations don’t just improve performance—they build trust, foster resilience, and reinforce the cultural values leaders want to see. It starts with one honest moment, modelled at the top.
If you’re looking to build a culture where accountability and psychological safety coexist, our team can help. Stratford’s leadership development services are designed to equip your organization with the skills, strategies, and confidence to lead with clarity—even in moments of discomfort.
Contact us to learn how we can support your leadership journey.
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Kathryn Yeung is a seasoned consultant for Stratford's People & Culture team and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Change Management, Talent Management programs (re)design and Leadership Development. Passionate about assisting people and organizations through change, of any size and scale, Kathryn is dedicated to supporting both individual leaders and teams to achieve their developmental or transformative success. As a senior consultant, Kathryn leverages her deep expertise to foster growth, enhance leadership capabilities, and drive organizational evolution. Her commitment to developing effective change leaders and organizational development expertise makes her a valued member of the Stratford team and the clients she serves. |