One of my team pulled me aside after a meeting and told me how something I said landed. I remembered the moment clearly. It had stuck with me too. I should have circled back. I didn't.

We talked. Understanding was reached. I apologized and reset. And thanked them for how they had approached it.

But as I reflected, three things hit me:

We're human. Leaders make mistakes. The job isn't to be perfect. It's to own those mistakes and make them right.

Safe spaces still require courage. Even in a culture where psychological safety exists (or we think it does), actually using that safety to call out your boss is an act of courage. That deserves recognition.

This was my first direct call-out in a long time. And that concerns me. Not because I've been a flawless communicator - that's statistically improbable. It's more likely there were other moments that went unmentioned.

Here's the uncomfortable truth for leaders who pride themselves on creating safe environments:

Silence isn't proof of safety. The real measure is how often people use that space to say something uncomfortable or risky.

If nobody's pushing back, that's not a green flag. It might be the biggest red flag you're missing.