Achetypes that harm team psychological safety.

Psychological safety is damaged through trust-harming behaviors. A few archetypes embody these actions:rF2

  • A brilliant jerk produces great results, and is therefore hard to address, but creates worse results from the team around them.
  • Noncommunicators hide information, possibly out of fear. Missing information in turn harms everyone else, and the lack of safety they’re reacting to becomes reinforced.
  • Disrespectful members appear to be unhappy with their circumstances.

These behaviors can and must be addressed.



  1. Camille Fournier, The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change, ed. Laurel Ruma, First Edition (Beijing: O’Reilly, 2017). (See notes.)