The 12 Best Psychological Safety Keynote Speakers Trending in the UK

What is Psychological Safety?

Psychological safety is defined as the absence of interpersonal fear and feeling safe to take interpersonal risks. To feel psychologically safe, a person must be able to speak up or openly disagree, without fear of the negative consequences that such an action may cause. The term has been used since the 1900s, with Harvard Business School’s Professor Amy C. Edmondson gaining great acclaim for her use of the term – defining it as ‘felt permission for candour’.

What is a Psychologically Safe Environment & How Can it be Achieved?

A psychologically safe environment is one in which people feel comfortable taking risks and speaking out against the norm. They also feel confident to share their personal thoughts and ideas without the fear of judgement, and they also feel empowered to speak the truth the those in power. A psychologically safe environment can be achieved by:

• Encouraging employees to be candid when sharing feedback or ideas
• Encouraging participation in conversations
• Hiring an expert psychological safety speaker to educate correct practices

Source: McKinsey & Co, Harvard Business Review & Harvard Business School

Top 12 Psychological Safety Speakers Trending in the UK:

• Amy C. Edmondson
• Gina Battye
• Geffrye Parsons
• Megan Reitz
• Shawn Achor
• Daniel Fryer
• Samantha Clarke
• Ian Robertson
• Dr Julia Shaw
• Robert Holden
• Christian Conte
• Michelle Elman

1. Amy C. Edmondson

Professor Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, and is famed for her comprehensive research examining psychological safety. Having authored six bestselling books and over 60 scholarly articles, Amy is committed to the study of human interactions – such as in her books The Fearless Organisation and Teaming. Ranked No.1 in Thinkers50’s World’s Most Influential Management Thinkers ranking and the winner of the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea award, Amy is a truly inspirational speaker who is determined to create workplaces in which people feel empowered to bring their full selves to work.

Official Testimonial for Amy C. Edmondson:

"Edmondson offers compelling new paradigms for team performance in the 21st century." - Campbel Soup Co.

2. Gina Battye

Gina Battye is a renowned and award-winning psychological safety and LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant, who is on a mission to lobby the UK Government into taking action to legislate workplace psychological safety. Being part of the LGBT+ community, Gina knows first-hand the challenges that being part of an underrepresented community can bring. Due to this, Gina passionately advocates for safer, more inclusive workplaces and has created her blueprint for psychological safety – The 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety. Implementing these pillars worldwide, Gina is making waves in creating fully inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces.

Official Testimonial for Gina Battye:

"Gina delivered an interactive conversation on the topic of bringing your whole self to work and LGBT inclusion. The feedback was extremely positive and I would highly recommend working with Gina on any corporate event relating to inclusion, diversity and LGBT topics." - AstraZeneca

3. Geffrye Parsons

Geffrye Parsons is a renowned equity and inclusion consultant, who forged a respectable corporate career as a Managing Director at Macquarie Group whilst also putting EDI at the heart of the company’s agenda. Geffrye is now the Founder and CEO (Chief Empathy Officer) of The Inclusion Imperative – dedicated to LGBTQ+ inclusion and EDI as a whole. Awarded the LGBT+ Inspirational Leader Award from the British LGBT Awards, named on The Guardian’s Pride Power List 2022 and recognised as one of the Top 100 LGBTQ+ Business Role Model from the PinkNews Awards, Geffrye is highly acclaimed throughout the D&I sphere. Having elevated Macquarie to No.1 on Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index, Geffrye is an expert on creating inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces in which people from all walks of life can thrive.

Official Testimonial for Geffrye Parsons:

"Geff has a boundless and infectious passion for LGBTQ+ inclusion. What sets him apart is that he is committed to ALL LGBTQ+ people, not a subset. Geff is a truly intersectional practitioner and creates change so that everyone can better succeed. He is also a great mentor and teacher, happy to meet people wherever they are on their journey." - Macquarie Group

4. Megan Reitz

Megan Reitz is the founding Director of Reitz Consulting, renowned for examining the connection between mindfulness and leadership. Having worked as a Manager at Deloitte, Megan has also achieved a PhD in Leadership and Dialogue from the Cranfield School of Management. Such education informs her role as the Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is the basis of her bestselling books – including titles Speak Up and Mind Time. A leading expert on psychological safety and how humane dialogue empowers people to flourish in corporate settings, Megan has also previously delivered the TEDx Talks How Your Power Silences the Truth and How to Lead in the New Era of Employee Activism. Named one of the Top 50 Management Thinkers in the World by Thinkers50, hire Megan Reitz to gain a better understanding of how dialogue and leadership can impact psychological safety.

Official Testimonial for Megan Reitz:

"Megan spoke superbly to the Surgical Forum on ‘Speaking the Truth to Power’. The forum comprises of the Federation of Surgical Specialist Association and the Officers of the 4 Royal Colleges of Surgery in the British Isles. She kicked off the day at our meeting looking at Surgical Teams and Leadership and she set a very high bar for the day. Everyone in the room took home the messages we needed to hear. I cannot recommend her highly enough." - Chair of the Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Expert Advisory Group

5. Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor is one of the World’s leading experts on connections between success and happiness. With his comprehensive research making the front cover of the Harvard Business Review, Shawn is renowned for delivering positive psychology training programmes globally. The New York Times Bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage, Shawn is on a mission to share the importance of positive psychology, evident in his TEDx Talk The Happy Secret to Better Work – viewed over 25 million times. Having participated in a two-part series with Oprah and named on Oprah’s SuperSoul100 List of Visionaries and Influential Leaders, Shawn is acclaimed for his expertise on human potential and how psychological safety impacts performance. When looking for a speaker who will help create successful workplaces by increasing understanding of psychological safety and positive psychology, hire Shawn Achor today.

Official Testimonial for Shawn Achor:

"An amazing event! It was such fun and so stimulating to have Shawn at Facebook! As we strive to help the world become more open and connected, remaining positive and grateful for meaningful and productive relationships is essential! Shawn’s ideas and research is very insightful to us as we think about our mission. Thank you!" - Facebook

6. Daniel Fryer

Daniel Fryer has spent over two decades helping people deal with life’s greatest challenges as a qualified cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and hypnotherapist. Using CBT and clinical hypnotherapy, Daniel helps people with everything from anger management and stress to chronic pain and anxiety disorders. Having formerly worked for the Royal Brompton Hospital and in the Occupational Health Division of Medicentre, Daniel has a plethora of experience working across private and public healthcare settings. Empowering people to let go of unhealthy anxieties, Daniel translates his clinical expertise into business contexts by focusing on psychological safety, and how it can improve the productivity and wellbeing of a workplace. Bestselling author of The Four Thoughts That F*ck You Up, Daniel is now frequently sought after to explain how psychological safety impacts the human mind.

7. Samantha Clarke

Samantha Clarke is committed to helping people thrive, by ensuring they understand the way that the inner world (the sense of who you are and what you can do) and outer environments (where a person works and plays) shape success. Helping the World’s leading brands to thrive through change, Samantha is now a Faculty Member of The School of Life and a leading Happiness Consultant for Samantha &. Having navigated chronic pain and its effect on mental health, Samantha knows first-hand the struggles of living with adversity – and so is on a mission to make psychological safety a priority in workplaces, so people feel empowered to thrive no matter their personal circumstances. Trusted by Accenture, Samsung, Unilever, Pinterest and JP Morgan, Samantha is championing a world in which psychological safety is a priority and people have the courage to do important work without fear of judgement.

Official Testimonial for Samantha Clarke:

"Sam was incredible – our most attended of our series yet, and so much good feedback!" - J.P Morgan

8. Ian Robertson

Ian Robertson has forged a distinguished career as a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, who has translated his clinical research into real-world contexts. With a deep understanding of the human mind and emotions, Ian has recently begun to focus on the crucial role of confidence and how it will impact future challenges – as demonstrated in his recent book How Confidence Works. Today, Ian is the Academic Partner of The Leadership High and Co-Director of the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin, shaping the next generation of neuropsychologists. Having also authored the books The Stress Test, Mind Sculpture, The Mind’s Eye and The Winner Effect, Ian is the perfect speaker to hire when looking to learn how aspects of psychological safety, such as confidence, affect workplace dynamics.

9. Dr Julia Shaw

Dr Julia Shaw is an acclaimed psychological scientist working at University College London, renowned for her detailed research on false memory, criminal psychology and bisexuality. On a mission to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive, Julia became the Founder of Spot, an AI startup dedicated to helping organisations deal with workplace behaviour that is inappropriate. To share her research, Julia has launched the BBC podcast Bad People, co-hosted the Bi People podcast and is a bestselling author of countless books – including Evil: The Science Behind Humanity’s Dark Side and Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality. Tackling harassment and discrimination throughout her work, Dr. Julia Shaw is the perfect speaker to promote the importance of psychological safety in the creation of diverse and inclusive workplaces.

10. Robert Holden

Robert Holden is a revered thought leader on positive psychology, renowned as the Director of The Happiness Project and as the Founder of the NHS Stress Buster Clinic. Having spearheaded mental wellbeing strategies for the NHS, Robert has forged a reputation for his expertise on all aspects of boosting mental resilience, tackling stress and increasing happiness. To share such expertise, Robert has authored several bestselling books, including titles Holy Shift!, Be Happy, Life Loves You and Authentic Success to name but a few. He has also delivered popular TEDx Talks Destination Addiction and The Tea Meditation, demonstrating his passion for mental wellbeing. When hired as a keynote speaker, Robert eloquently links mental health and wellbeing with psychological safety, educating audiences on how feeling safe in personal and professional environments will drastically improve mental health.

Official Testimonial for Robert Holden:

"Your work with us has been a complete tonic – the buzz you have created is terrific. We are uplifted and full of hope for the future." - The Body Shop

11. Christian Conte

Dr Christian Conte is a Certified Anger Management Specialist and Nationally Certified Counsellor, renowned for his authority on conflict resolution and human behaviour. Educating his audiences on how to remain calm when challenged with conflict, Christian has shared his unparalleled expertise in his TEDx Talk Why I Chose to Go to Prison and in his bestselling book Walking Through Anger. Also holding a Domestic Violence Counsellor Certification and being the Creator of The Yield Theory, Christian teaches the intricacies of compassion and connection. Having also co-founded a centre in South Lake Tahoe for the rehabilitation of violent criminals, Christian has a deep understanding of the human mind and what makes us act in negative ways. When hired as a keynote speaker, Christian translates his expertise on anger management and human behaviour to help audiences better understand the importance of psychological safety.

12. Michelle Elman

Michelle Elman is a prominent advocate for body positivity and confidence, renowned as the Founder of Mindset For Life. Highly qualified, Michelle is a Time Line Therapy Master Practitioner and Master Hypnotherapist, and holds qualifications in Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming – all of which she uses to inform her keynote speeches centred around mental wellbeing. Having delivered the TED Talk Have You Hated Your Body Enough Today?, Michelle has also authored the bestselling book Am I Ugly? Having worked with the likes of Dove, Johnson & Johnson, Always and Simple Be, Michelle is a trusted authority as a keynote speaker. Michelle uses her expertise in mental health to stress how important psychological safety is – promoting the importance of safe environments in which all people can thrive, no matter how they look or identify.

Official Testimonial for Michelle Elman:

"Listening to Michelle engage in a conversation on “Adversity & Perseverance”, was thought-provoking and impressive. She took a potentially dry topic and spiced it up through her experiences. Her candid articulate style made the discussion relatable and interesting. This is also true of Michelle’s approach in her remarkable book “Am I Ugly?” where she takes the reader through her life’s journey. She imparts the same energy in her talks and her book, emerging triumphant and leaving the audience inspired." - Goldman Sachs

Hire a Psychological Safety Speaker Today!

If you are interested in finding out more about psychological safety or how to create a psychologically safe environment, hire one of our talented speakers today! To hire a psychological safety speaker, complete our online contact form or call one of our dedicated booking agents on 0207 0787 876.