“I’m the Manager”: When Power Shuts Down Progress

Her idea was thoughtful. 

Rooted in experience. 

Proposed with clarity and respect.

She offered it during a team meeting—not to challenge authority, but to contribute to a better outcome.

And her manager’s response?

Dismissive. 

Condescending. 

Sharp enough to leave a mark in front of colleagues who said nothing.

But this wasn’t the first time. She had experienced that same tone before—the kind that’s meant to shut down, not open up.

So, she did what employees are told to do.

She escalated. 

Through the “appropriate” channels. 

Followed the steps laid out in policies and training slides. 

Trusted the system.

 so much for speaking up

This is not a story of one employee. 

It’s the story of countless people—talented, dedicated, high-performing—who are silenced under the guise of hierarchy.

People who are told to contribute, innovate, and collaborate… but are met with power plays when they do.

This is how psychological safety dies—not in a single moment, but in small, repeated acts of dismissal.

And when the system defends authority over accountability, it sends a message louder than any value statement ever could:

Your voice doesn’t matter here.

 Why Psychological Safety Remains Elusive

For years, organizations have been discussing psychological safety.

There are handbooks. 

Frameworks. 

Trainings. 

Workshops. 

Posters in office hallways with catchy slogans about “speaking up.”

And yet, here we are.

Employees still hesitate. Still whisper concerns behind closed doors. Still ask one another, “Is it safe to say this?”

Why?

Because the reality on the ground doesn’t match the words on the wall.

This isn't a culture problem - It's a leadership PROBLEM

Let’s name what’s really going on.

Psychological safety fails not because the concept is flawed—but because leadership accountability is weak.

We’ve created layers of performance evaluations, KPIs, and competencies.

But when a manager undermines someone in public?

When a team member raises a red flag and gets punished for it?

When a leader consistently creates fear, and the only advice is to "find another team"?

That’s not a system that’s broken. That’s a system working exactly as it was designed.

A system that protects hierarchy over honesty. 

Titles over truth. 

Optics over impact.

the human cost of being shutdown

It’s easy to brush this off as a one-time misstep. But let’s be real—what happens in moments like these leaves long-lasting damage:

• Ideas die before they’re spoken.

  
  

• Trust dissolves across the team.

  
  

• Morale dips—and never quite recovers.

  
  

• Talent walks away quietly, often without saying why.

  
  

• And those who stay? They learn to play it safe. To stay small.

  
  

This is the quiet erosion of a workplace culture.

Not with headlines. Not with scandals. 

But with every silence that follows a shutdown.

"she won't win" should never be the answer

When someone reports that they’ve been dismissed or disrespected, they aren’t asking for drama.

They’re asking for dignity.

And when the organizational response is to remove the person who raised the issue instead of addressing the one who caused it—what are we actually saying?

That seniority is a shield? 

That leadership means unchecked power? 

That your values only apply to those without rank?

Here’s the truth:

No leadership title should come with a pass on behavior.

 if values matter, then so does accountability 

Values don’t live in the employee handbook. 

They live in the decisions we make when it’s uncomfortable.

When a manager undermines a team member in public and nothing happens—that’s not a small thing. 

That’s a breach of trust. 

A signal to everyone watching.

Because employees are always watching. 

They’re watching who gets protected. 

They’re watching how problems get handled. 

They’re watching whether your values are real—or just rehearsed.

 where do we go from here?

Here’s what needs to change if we want to move from performative safety to real safety:

✅ Start with leadership accountability. No one should be “untouchable” because of their position.

✅ Train for humility, not just authority. Being a manager isn’t about asserting dominance—it’s about creating space for contribution.

✅ Protect those who speak up. If your escalation channels end with the employee being removed, your system is broken.

✅ Track real behavior—not just results. It’s not enough that someone delivers targets if they destroy trust in the process.

✅ Make values actionable. If respect and inclusion are core values, they must be visible in how every voice is treated.

final word

Let’s stop pretending that psychological safety is a mystery. 

We know what it takes.

It starts when speaking up doesn’t cost you your credibility. 

When challenging the norm doesn’t threaten your position. 

When power doesn’t protect poor behavior.

It starts when saying, “I’m the manager,” isn’t an excuse—it’s a responsibility.

Because leadership isn’t about being the loudest in the room. 

It’s about ensuring every voice can be heard in the room.

Values matter. But they only matter if they apply to everyone.

It’s time to lead like that’s true.