Charting a Course to Psychological Safety with Brave Space and Cultural Intelligence
This post is the second in a three-part series on psychological safety, brave space, and cultural intelligence.
In my previous post, I argued that while psychological safety is a critical destination for modern organizations, it is not a state that can be achieved passively. It’s not enough for leaders to simply declare that a space is "safe." The journey to psychological safety is fraught with challenges, particularly the deep-seated realities of power, equity, and cultural bias that exist in our diverse workplaces.
Just like Starfleet captains, leaders can successfully navigate these challenges when equipped with the right tools: a deliberate process for engaging in difficult dialogue and a navigational system for understanding and adapting to cultural differences. I see brave space as the starship: the vehicle and the rules of the road for the journey. I see cultural intelligence as the helm and the star charts: the navigational system that guides us. When these two frameworks are combined, they create a powerful, integrated approach to cultivating a truly humanizing and high-performing culture.
The Starship: Brave Space
The brave space framework, which I co-developed and have continued to grow, was born out of a frustration with the notion of "safe space" for discussing complex and emotionally charged topics like social justice. We recognized that for many, especially those from marginalized communities, there is no such thing as a truly “safe” space. The risks of engaging are very real. Rather than promise an impossible-to-deliver promise of safety, brave space asks for something different: courage. It is a framework that emphasizes the values of accountability, productive conflict, and the willingness to lean into discomfort.
A key principle of brave space is that we acknowledge and normalize fear. This is not about a lack of safety, but about a recognition that bravery is only meaningful in the presence of fear. When a leader cultivates a brave space, they are inviting people to take an interpersonal risk like sharing an unpopular opinion, challenging a biased comment, or admitting to a mistake. Moreover, they are committing to hold a space where that risk is met with respect, not retribution. This is why brave space is such a powerful complement to psychological safety. While psychological safety is the feeling, brave space is the deliberate, ongoing practice that generates that feeling. It is the action-oriented process that, over time, builds the trust and reciprocity that make psychological safety possible.
The Helm: Cultural Intelligence (CQ)
If brave space is the starship, then cultural intelligence is the essential navigational system. Developed by Christopher Earley and Elaine Mosakowski and advanced by the scholar-practitioners at the Cultural Intelligence Center, CQ is the ability to function effectively in culturally diverse situations. It is a competence that goes beyond simple cultural awareness or sensitivity; it is a measurable, learnable skill set and essential leadership competency that prepares us for the complexities of a truly diverse workforce. The framework breaks CQ down into four distinct capabilities:
CQ Drive (Motivation): The motivation and interest to engage with people from different cultures. This is about a leader’s willingness to be curious, to persevere, and to believe that engaging with cultural differences is a valuable and rewarding experience.
CQ Knowledge (Cognition): An understanding of how cultures are similar and how they differ. This includes an understanding of culturally-informed behavioral preferences (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism), communication styles (e.g., high-context vs. low-context), and social norms. This knowledge provides the map for the journey.
CQ Strategy (Metacognition): The ability to leverage one’s CQ Knowledge to plan for intercultural interactions. This includes being aware of one's own biases and checking assumptions during an encounter. In other words, it is the act of using the star chart to plan your route.
CQ Action (Behavior): The ability to adapt one’s behavior to different cultural contexts. This includes flexing communication styles and nonverbal cues to be more effective in a given situation, all while remaining authentic to oneself. This is the actual steering of the starship.
Without CQ, a leader's attempt to create psychological safety is operating without a lay of the land … or the galaxy, for that matter. While a starship can chart a number of routes to a given destination, some might lead through an asteroid field or near a black hole, making the paths hard, dangerous, or impossible to navigate. A well-intentioned leader may choose this route when they rely only on their own cultural frames of reference, inadvertently creating an environment that feels psychologically safe for some, but not for others. This is why CQ allows leaders to see the blind spots and to intentionally chart a new course that honors and respects the diverse backgrounds of their team members.
When brave space and cultural intelligence are combined, we are no longer trying to force a potentially culturally-biased model of psychological safety onto a diverse team. Instead, we are using the brave space framework to establish the principles of courageous and accountable dialogue, and we are using our CQ to navigate that dialogue with humility and respect. In the final post of this series, I will introduce a new, integrated framework that combines all three of these concepts and provides concrete, actionable steps for leaders who are ready to move from aspiration to implementation.
