When Leaders React Poorly to Mistakes, Improvement Stops
Every organization says it wants people to speak up. Most have suggestion boxes, open-door policies, or engagement surveys that ask employees if they feel heard.
But what actually happens when someone admits a mistake? When a nurse flags a near-miss? When an engineer says, “I think we got this wrong”?
That moment — what happens right after someone speaks up — reveals everything about your culture. And it shapes whether people will ever speak up again.
I help leaders and organizations understand why psychological safety is the foundation for continuous improvement, innovation, and better results. Through keynotes, workshops, and interactive sessions, I share research-backed insights and real-world examples that give leaders practical ways to build cultures where people feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and improve together.
What Is Psychological Safety — And What It Isn't
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as
“a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.”
What stands out to me in working with organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, and tech is how often leaders think they've created psychological safety when they haven't. Telling people “this is a safe space” doesn't make it one. And psychological safety doesn't mean a lack of accountability or an absence of high standards. It means people feel safe enough to be honest — which is exactly what high performance requires.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
Organizations with low psychological safety share a common pattern: problems get hidden, mistakes get repeated, and improvement stalls. People learn it's safer to stay quiet than to raise a concern.
Research by Ethan Burris shows that the “futility factor” — believing that speaking up won't make a difference — is even more common than fear of punishment. Both are signals that the culture needs work.
When organizations get this right, the results are measurable. Hospitals in the Pacific Northwest that adopted a “safety stop” process modeled after Toyota's andon cord saw reported concerns increase (a sign of greater psychological safety) while serious safety events decreased over the same period. More reporting, fewer incidents. That's what happens when you combine psychological safety with effective problem solving.
What I Bring to the Stage
I draw on over 25 years of experience helping organizations improve through Lean management, systems thinking, and culture change. My perspectives are grounded in:
Real examples, not abstract theory. I share stories from Toyota leaders who experienced supportive responses to mistakes early in their careers — and how that shaped decades of performance. I share what I've seen in hospitals, factories, and software companies where leaders shifted from blame to learning. And I'm honest about my own mistakes along the way.
Research that connects to practice. I reference the work of Amy Edmondson, Timothy R. Clark, Ethan Burris, and others — but always in service of practical application. The goal is to give leaders something they can act on Monday morning.
An interactive, engaging style. I don't lecture from a stage. I ask questions, use live polls, and create space for reflection and discussion. Audiences leave with specific ideas they can apply, not just concepts to admire.
“Mark was a very charismatic and professional speaker. He engaged with the attendees outside of his session. He related his personal stories to our attendees' industry really well.” — Event organizer, retail industry
Keynote and Workshop Topics
I tailor every presentation to the audience and context. Common themes include:
Cultivating a Culture of Learning from Mistakes What happens after someone admits a mistake shapes your entire culture. This session explores how leaders can shift from punitive responses to ones that are kind, constructive, and improvement-focused — and why that shift drives better business results.
Psychological Safety as the Foundation for Continuous Improvement Many organizations invest heavily in problem-solving training but struggle to see results. The missing piece is often psychological safety. Without it, people won't surface the problems that need solving. This session shows how the two work together.
The Mistakes That Make Us: Building a Learning Organization Based on my book of the same name, this keynote uses stories from leaders across industries to explore how organizations can respond to mistakes in ways that build trust, capability, and resilience — instead of fear and silence.
From “Nice” to “Kind”: How Leaders Can Support Growth After Mistakes Being “nice” means avoiding difficult conversations. Being “kind” means having them constructively. This session explores the difference and why it matters for both individual development and team performance.
Who This Is For
I speak at healthcare conferences, leadership forums, manufacturing summits, and corporate events for audiences including:
- Senior leaders and C-suite executives
- Healthcare administrators, physicians, and quality leaders
- Continuous improvement and operational excellence teams
- HR and organizational development professionals
- Anyone responsible for building a culture where people can do their best work
About Mark Graban
I'm the author of four books, including the Shingo Award-winning books The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation and Lean Hospitals. I host two podcasts: the long-running Lean Blog Interviews and My Favorite Mistake, where leaders from every field share the mistakes that taught them the most.
I hold a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.S. and MBA from MIT. I've worked with organizations including hospitals, health systems, manufacturers, and tech companies, and I serve as a Senior Advisor to KaiNexus.
My approach emphasizes systems over blame, learning over punishment, and practical application over abstract theory. I've learned a lot of this the hard way — through my own mistakes and from leaders generous enough to share theirs.
Let's Talk About Your Event
If you're planning a conference, leadership retreat, or organizational event where psychological safety, continuous improvement, or learning from mistakes would resonate with your audience, I'd welcome the conversation.
Contact me about speaking to discuss your event goals and how I might add value.
You can also explore my books, blog, and podcasts to get a feel for my voice, perspective, and approach.
See all of Mark's speaking topics or learn more about his keynotes on learning from mistakes and healthcare improvement.