More than just a management fad, fostering an environment where everyone feels free to voice their opinions is a key component of successful teams. According to research, teams with a high psychological safety level claim improved employee retention, creativity, and collaboration. However, what does everyday psychological safety actually entail? Is the goal eradicating conflict or promoting open communication? In what ways do leaders strike a balance between empathy and control? Building inclusive cultures where people can flourish is difficult, as these issues demonstrate. Amy Edmondson reminds us that “Psychological safety is the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.” In the rapidly evolving workplace of today, adopting this perspective might be necessary—not optional—for long-term development and deep connections.

Psychological Safety: The Backbone of Inclusive Organizations

One book that fundamentally reshaped how I approached HR and workplace culture is *”The Fearless Organization” by Amy C. Edmondson*. I picked it up during a time when we were scaling Zapiy.com and starting to feel the growing pains—communication gaps, uneven team dynamics, and an undercurrent of hesitancy that I couldn’t quite name at first.

What this book revealed to me is something I hadn’t fully grasped early on: psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of a truly inclusive and high-performing organization. Edmondson’s research showed how teams with diverse backgrounds and perspectives thrive not because they avoid conflict or play it safe, but because they feel safe to speak up, question, and challenge ideas without fear of judgment or punishment.

One specific takeaway that stuck with me was the idea that leaders set the tone. If a founder or manager is constantly focused on outcomes at the expense of dialogue, curiosity, or vulnerability, it sends a clear signal: conformity is safer than contribution. That’s when I realized some of our more rigid HR policies—while well-intentioned—were subtly discouraging individuality and honest feedback.

So we started making changes. We revised our onboarding to include open discussions about team norms and communication styles. We reworked performance reviews to include questions about how supported people felt, not just what they produced. And we encouraged managers to admit mistakes first—to model that imperfection is okay, and growth comes from candor.

Since then, I’ve seen a clear shift. Team members who once sat quietly in meetings now raise ideas that push our product forward. We’ve retained talent not just because of perks, but because people feel heard. *The Fearless Organization* taught me that inclusion isn’t something you write into a policy—it’s something you practice in the space between every conversation. That shift has made us better—not just as a company, but as a team of humans building something together.

Max Shak, Founder/CEO, Zapiy

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Ask Better Questions, Build Stronger Teams

A book that made me rethink what an HR policy and the culture of a workplace should be was The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier. The book encouraged me to stop defaulting to the giving of advice and instead to get curious – which for us practically meant rethinking how we operate teams, provide feedback and onboard managers at Pagoralia. We started with one statement: ask more and better questions. For example, instead of performance reviews centered purely around KPIs we now structure our monthly 1:1s around three questions of energy, alignment and blockers. That single change opened up vulnerability and provided leadership a pulse on burnout before it happened.

That’s the power of simple. The book also helped me to realize that empathy is not a department – it is a management style. When we we adopted that approach across ventures, and especially in multicultural remote teams, we began to see greater engagement and psychological safety grow organically. This was not due to new expensive perks, an improved HR policy dollied up with a new look, and feel – just more intentional human conversations.

Martin Weidemann, VP Fintech, Pagoralia.com

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Courage Check-Ins Transform Feedback Culture

Honestly, Dare to Lead by Brene Brown flipped our script on feedback. Her idea that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation” got us questioning our once-a-year, checkbox reviews.

So we rolled out monthly “courage check-ins,” 15-minute huddles where folks share a win and a hiccup.

We even ran a two-hour workshop where managers learned empathy mapping and practiced “clear, kind” language. To keep it real, each team co-created its own discussion norms, so nobody felt put on the spot.

Since then, our engagement score climbed from 62% to 87%, and reported micro-aggressions slid by 45% (down from 11 to 6 incidents per quarter).

Best of all, people say they actually look forward to these chats—it’s become our secret sauce for trust and inclusion.

Usama Chaudhry, CEO and Founder, Primus Workforce Ltd.

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Treat Employees Like Adults, Not Liabilities

Rethinking HR: From Rulebooks to Real People

One book that truly shaped how I approach HR is “Work Rules!” by Laszlo Bock, the former SVP of People Operations at Google. This book is not a how-to guide, but a challenge to rethink the dusty old HR playbook we have all inherited. What made this book so different was not the perks or policies it discussed but the unapologetic focus on treating employees like capable adults, not liabilities waiting to happen. That was a wake-up call.

We have applied learnings from Bock’s philosophy at The New Workforce by replacing our legacy framework that prioritizes control over connection with trying to build an environment that thrives on transparency, flexibility, & trust. We don’t consider inclusion as an initiative at our firm, but rather treat it as something that is embedded in how we structure teams, communicate expectations, & design workflows. We don’t just write HR policies; we design experiences.

The biggest shift? We started asking employees what they needed to thrive, and then we actually listened to what they had to say. Radical, right?

The biggest bottleneck in today’s rapidly evolving workspaces is outdated policies. And amidst all the challenges, “Work Rule!” was a great reminder for me that creating an emphatic workplace is not just about chasing trends—It’s about courageously questioning what no longer serves your people.

Kraig Kleeman, Founder, CEO, The New Workforce

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Emotional Integrity: The Missing HR Element

Leading with Emotional Integrity: A Tool That Opened a New Perspective in My HR Work

One book that’s deeply influenced how I approach leadership and HR structures is KEYS to your relationships by Peter Shogun Trnka. It’s not just a book — it’s a reflective tool that includes a deck of 90 cards and intuitive illustrations. Together, they support inner clarity, emotional awareness, and more conscious communication. Even though it wasn’t written as a traditional HR manual, I’ve found it surprisingly relevant in leadership coaching and team development.

What makes KEYS particularly valuable in a professional context is that it offers the opportunity to explore perspectives we often don’t slow down enough to consider — especially the more emotional and relational layers that quietly influence trust, inclusion, and team dynamics. For HR professionals working closely with managers, it can be a helpful addition. The combination of thoughtful writing and the structure of self-inquiry through the cards creates space for deeper reflection — not through pressure or theory, but through honest personal insight.

What I appreciate most is that KEYS doesn’t offer quick fixes or generic advice. It respects the complexity of human behaviour and encourages a slower, embodied approach to change — which can be hard to prioritise amid operational demands. Rather than replacing HR strategies, it can complement them. It helped me reframe HR not just as a function that supports people, but as a space where meaningful change can happen — particularly through how leaders show up in relationships.

I’ve integrated KEYS into my work with leaders who are ready to go beyond surface-level management. They want to understand themselves better, build real connection, and lead with more awareness and emotional integrity. And for HR professionals who are already doing the challenging work of supporting managers and shaping culture, this tool can be a powerful and practical ally.

Aneta Vančova, Psychologist/Coach/Trainer, ADVANCA

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Culture Code Transforms Rules into Relationships

One book that really helped me rethink traditional HR policies was “The Culture Code” by Daniel Coyle. It delves into how successful groups create a sense of safety, belonging, and trust. After reading it, I realized that HR policies shouldn’t just be about enforcing rules; they should actively encourage open communication, inclusivity, and emotional support within teams. Inspired by the book, I shifted our approach to performance reviews, making them more of a two-way conversation rather than a top-down evaluation. We also introduced a feedback loop where employees could share ideas on improving workplace culture without fear of judgment. This book changed how I viewed leadership and policies, helping me prioritize empathy and collaboration in creating a more inclusive and supportive environment. The results were noticeable—employees felt more heard, and we saw a tangible increase in morale and retention.

Nikita Sherbina, Co-Founder & CEO, AIScreen

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Leaders Eat Last: Building Trauma-Informed HR

Book: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

This book hit me hard — not because it had some revolutionary HR hacks, but because it reminded me what leadership is really about: taking care of your people. In the world of addiction treatment, if your staff doesn’t feel safe, seen, and supported, they burn out fast. And once burnout hits, client care suffers. Period.

After reading Leaders Eat Last, I scrapped a lot of the stiff HR policies we had — stuff that looked great on paper but had no soul. I started pushing for an environment where empathy wasn’t just lip service. Real talk during check-ins. Open-door policies that actually meant something. Flexibility that respected people’s mental bandwidth.

One specific change? We built trauma-informed HR protocols. That means we look at employee behavior through a mental health lens. If someone’s struggling, we don’t default to write-ups or warnings — we ask what’s going on behind the scenes. We also started training leadership to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue. This book reminded me: you can’t build a strong company if your people don’t feel safe being human.

Another shift? Inclusion. We stopped hiring for “culture fit” and started hiring for culture add. Big difference. I want diverse perspectives at the table — especially in recovery work, where every background brings a new angle to healing.

The old way of doing HR was compliance-driven. This book helped me lead with trust, service, and shared purpose — the stuff that actually builds teams worth showing up for.

Andy Danec, Owner, Ridgeline Recovery LLC

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Principles Over Rules Drive Ownership

No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer pushed us to rethink rigid HR policies. It challenged the idea that control builds trust—instead, it showed how transparency and treating people like adults can drive performance and loyalty. It helped us shift from rule-based policies to principle-based ones. The result was more ownership and less micromanagement.

Paul Bichsel, CEO, SuccessCX

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Embracing Emotions Creates Stronger Workplace Culture

“No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work,” by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, has permanently changed the way I think about HR and how people should work together. A lot of leaders seem to think that being responsible means keeping your emotions in check. This book takes that idea apart and makes a strong case for why it’s important to see feelings in others and yourself in order to make the workplace truly human and open to everyone.   

I remember that letting people know how you feel doesn’t hurt your work; in fact, it often helps, especially if it makes you feel safe. We thought about how we give and receive feedback in the company, settle disagreements, and do performance reviews after reading it. For example, we now let workers talk about more than just numbers; they can also talk about how they feel about their work. Also, we tell managers to start meetings with check-ins that are more than just giving news.   

Once we applied these adjustments, we began to see a huge change on our employees. People are now more willing to talk about their challenges, share their ideas, and ask for help. Building a culture of emotional openness has made us stronger, not weaker; and this book not only helped us understand others better, but it also gave us a way to transform our worldview.

Gianluca Ferruggia, General Manager, DesignRush

About Humane HR Perspectives

Our round-up series “Humane HR Perspectives” examines the fundamentals of humanising human resources (HR) from the perspectives of top authorities within and relevant to the industry. Q&A sessions with founders, CEOs, HR professionals, business leaders, and other significant players who are influencing the direction of HR are included in every edition.

Throughout the employee life cycle, we address a wide range of subjects in this series, including recruitment and selection, onboarding, training and development, performance management, employee engagement, pay and benefits, and more. We also go over important topics like compliance, change management in the workplace, morale and welfare, workplace communications, and diversity and inclusion.

The “Humane HR Perspectives” series offers insightful advice and practical examples to help develop a more encouraging, productive, and successful workplace—whether you’re an HR professional, a business leader, or just someone who is enthusiastic about creating a great work environment. Join us as we explore the approaches, difficulties, and triumphs that characterise HR humanisation and acquire unique access to the knowledge and experiences of individuals spearheading the movement.

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