by Ben Swire, author of “Safe Danger: An Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation“
The term psychological safety has become corporate wallpaper — everyone says they want it, few know how to build it.
Most founders think innovation thrives on boldness. But real innovation — the kind that sparks new ideas instead of just faster execution — depends on something more paradoxical: safety. Not the kind that avoids risk, but the kind that makes risk possible.
At IDEO, I learned that the difference between teams that create something remarkable and teams that burn out isn’t how smart they are — it’s how safe they feel taking small, meaningful risks with each other. That paradox is what I call safe danger: an environment safe enough to leave safety behind and dangerous enough to fuel growth.
Why Safe Danger Beats “Psychological Safety”
The term psychological safety has become corporate wallpaper — everyone says they want it, few know how to build it. The problem is that most teams confuse safety with comfort. Safety is about protection; comfort is about avoidance. And when comfort sets in, curiosity dies.
Entrepreneurs know that growth doesn’t come from staying comfortable. Every leap — launching a new product, firing a beloved idea, hiring before you’re ready — requires entering some form of danger. But here’s the catch: your team won’t take those leaps unless they believe they’ll land somewhere safe. That’s the balance to aim for — not safety or danger, but both: safe danger.
A Story from the Field
During the pandemic, I ran a creative experiment called Super Secret. We paired people — half were eight-year-olds, half were senior citizens — in an anonymous five-week pen-pal exchange. They couldn’t use real names or describe what they looked like. Instead, they sent stories about their childhood stuffed animals, their biggest mistakes, and moments they were proud of.
When they finally met on Zoom, everyone wore superhero masks they’d made for each other, based on what they’d learned through those stories. They were strangers, but they laughed like old friends. The kids asked if they could keep writing. The seniors said they hadn’t felt so connected in years.
That’s safe danger in action: a playful setup that lowers the stakes while raising the depth of connection. It’s not about removing risk — it’s about making it matter — and making it feel worth taking.
3 Ways to Build a Culture of Safe Danger
Startups and small businesses grow fastest when leaders intentionally balance risk and safety in how teams interact. Here’s how to put safe danger into practice:
1. Redefine What Safety Means.
Most leaders talk about psychological safety, but what they actually create is comfort. Safety invites honest risk; comfort avoids it. Make safety about permission — the permission to tell the truth, to disagree respectfully, and to try something untested without fear of ridicule or punishment.
2. Practice Small Risks Every Day.
You build emotional muscle not by waiting for a crisis, but by lifting small weights daily. Encourage team members to start meetings with a tiny confession: one thing they got wrong that week. These micro-risks — small vulnerability, candid questions, and experimental ideas — normalize uncertainty and make courage routine.
3. Use Play as a Serious Business Tool.
Play is one of the fastest ways to lower defenses and open people to new ideas. Whether it’s a silly “what if” exercise before a brainstorm or sharing superhero masks to celebrate small wins, playful rituals turn routine interactions into trust-building moments.
Why It Matters
The biggest threat to any startup isn’t competition; it’s stagnation. It’s the day people start playing it safe. A culture of safe danger keeps that from happening — it ensures everyday work is a series of small adventures. It makes trust tangible and learning continuous. And it helps your company scale while your people keep growing.
If you want your team to take big swings, give them the courage to miss. If you want real innovation, let people improvise. And if you want them to stay, make it safe to be brave.
Ben Swire is the author of “Safe Danger: An Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation“, and founder of Make Believe Works, which helps teams and leaders build cultures of trust and creativity. Drawing on his background at IDEO and award-winning work in behavioral design and team building, he speaks and consults globally on psychological safety, curiosity, and authentic collaboration.
