By: Cicospace
Jason O. Harris, a former U.S. Air Force officer and acclaimed leadership consultant, is no stranger to cultivating high-performing teams in environments where failure isn’t an option. Through his keynotes and consulting work, Harris challenges leaders to rethink their approaches to training, processes, and team dynamics. His latest insights focus on the intersection of training innovation and psychological safety, urging organizations to prioritize continuous improvement and empower their people to unlock collective brilliance.
Elevating Training Beyond Compliance
Harris begins with a bold challenge to organizations: stop using a lack of training programs as an excuse for underperformance. Instead, he emphasizes taking ownership of training by leveraging the intelligence and creativity already present within teams. “Figure out how you can leverage the intelligence that you have on your team to begin to improve the training,” he advises.
This means moving beyond static, one-size-fits-all programs to dynamic training solutions that evolve with the needs of the team and the business. Harris advocates for codifying improvements into standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring that lessons learned are institutionalized and can be replicated across the organization.
“When you look at your training, processes, and systems, it’s about making small, incremental tweaks that lead to larger improvements in efficiency and innovation,” Harris explains. These improvements don’t require revolutionary overhauls but instead demand attention to detail, feedback from the front lines, and a commitment to growth.
Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Innovation
While effective training builds competence, Harris underscores the importance of psychological safety to unlock a team’s full potential. Psychological safety, as defined by organizational psychologists, is the shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. It’s the environment where individuals feel empowered to voice concerns, share ideas, and point out blind spots without fear of reprisal.
Harris poses a critical question to leaders: “How are you creating that space for psychological safety to allow [team members] the opportunity to actually speak up?” He notes that those on the front lines—what he calls the “low masters”—often have the clearest view of inefficiencies, blind spots, or potential improvements. These individuals operate closest to the day-to-day operations and are uniquely positioned to identify opportunities for innovation.
However, their insights are only valuable if they are heard. Harris stresses the need for leaders to intentionally cultivate environments where these voices are amplified. He warns that leaders often miss critical opportunities because they haven’t worked at these operational levels—or have been removed from them for too long. By fostering psychological safety, leaders can tap into their teams’ collective brilliance and gain fresh perspectives.
Small Tweaks, Big Results
One of Harris’ key messages is the power of small, incremental changes. He encourages organizations to analyze their current training and processes with a critical eye, asking:
- Where can we make small improvements?
- How can these tweaks increase efficiency and innovation?
- Are our processes flexible enough to evolve with new insights?
These questions, Harris argues, lead to actionable adjustments that compound over time, driving transformative results. Whether it’s updating an outdated training module, refining an SOP, or empowering team members to suggest process improvements, these changes build the foundation for a high-performing, adaptive organization.
Building “No-Fail” Trust
Harris ties his insights into a larger vision for leadership: cultivating a culture of no-fail trust. This concept builds on his own experience in the military, where trust wasn’t optional—it was a mission-critical necessity. In a corporate context, this means creating an environment where individuals trust the systems, the leadership, and, most importantly, each other.
To achieve this, Harris highlights the need for leaders to do three things:
- Refine Training
Ensure that training programs are relevant, practical, and continuously improving. Training must prepare teams not just for routine tasks but also for unexpected challenges. - Empower Feedback Loops
Encourage input from all levels of the organization, particularly from those closest to the operations. Incorporate this feedback into SOPs to ensure it becomes part of the organizational fabric. - Foster Psychological Safety
Build an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, share concerns, and propose ideas. This safety enables organizations to address blind spots and capitalize on hidden opportunities.
By focusing on these elements, Harris argues, organizations can achieve the trust and cohesion needed to thrive in competitive and unpredictable environments.
The Commitment to Continuous Improvement
As Harris concludes, leadership isn’t about being static or reactive; it’s about committing to a mindset of continuous improvement. “When you start considering what it means to look at your training in a different light, to look at your processes in a different way, you create an environment of innovation and no-fail trust,” he says.
Harris’ message is clear: the path to becoming a high-performing team begins with intentionality. Leaders must take ownership of their training programs, seek out incremental improvements, and, most importantly, create a culture where every team member feels valued and heard. This approach doesn’t just elevate performance—it ensures that the organization is prepared for any challenge.
For more insights on leadership and trust-building, visit Jason O. Harris at jasonoharris.com.
Published by Mark V.
