Christian Idiodi sits down with executive coach and author Kate Leto to discuss how psychological safety drives high-performing product teams. Through concrete examples, they demystify the concept and show how deliberate acts of trust, candor, and shared accountability unlock real-world results.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
What psychological safety is and why it matters
Signs your team does or does not have psychological safety
The relationship between psychological safety, trust, and accountability
Common misconceptions around this topic
Tactical advice for leaders and team members
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References:
Emotional Self Control Probably Doesn’t Mean What You Think: https://www.kateleto.com/articles/emotional-self-control-probably-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-but-its-an-essential-skill-for-leaders
Google’s Project Aristotle: https://psychsafety.com/googles-project-aristotle/
Hiring Product Managers: Using Product EQ to Go Beyond Culture and Skills: https://www.amazon.com/Hiring-Product-Managers-beyond-culture/dp/B09RFYCGL9
Self-Awareness Revisited: https://www.kateleto.com/articles/what-the-heck-is-self-awareness-and-why-should-you-care-part-2
What is Self-Awareness and Why Should You Care? https://www.kateleto.com/articles/what-is-self-awareness
What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety: https://hbr.org/2025/05/what-people-get-wrong-about-psychological-safety
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Where to find SVPG:
SVPG’s new book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/
Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/
Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/
Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/
Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
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Where to find Kate Leto:
Books and insights: https://www.kateleto.com/books-and-insights
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateleto/
Website: https://www.kateleto.com/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:42) What is psychological safety
(02:11) Why psychological safety matters in work environments
(03:16) How psychological safety enables diverse perspectives
(05:12) Google's research on high-performing teams
(06:13) Differentiating trust from psychological safety
(08:04) Diagnosing the root cause of low psychological safety
(10:48) How leaders can create psychological safety
(13:04) Overcoming the hero complex as a leader
(16:23) How leaders can share ideas without creating directive
(17:31) Achieving psychological safety and accountability
(19:22) Can you have too much psychological safety?
(23:29) How teams can create psychological safety
(27:00) Modeling vulnerability authentically as a leader
(29:27) Closing thoughts and key takeaways
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Disclaimer:
While this podcast is named “Product Therapy,” it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/
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Production:
Production by supermix.io
