According to research from Google’s Project Aristotle and Harvard Business Review, psychological safety is the #1 predictor of team performance. And it’s built in moments just like this, when someone chooses to quietly take one for the team so the rest feel a little more seen and their shares, safe.

When a culture is dysregulated, the solution isn’t to fire everyone and start over or turn the other way. It’s to rebuild with psychological safety, stability, nervous system support and emotional regulation. That’s what creates a functional culture, one where people actually want to show up and contribute. One where you don’t need forced values printed on a poster because the values are embodied in how people treat each other from bottom up and top down.