Why Your Team Won’t Speak Up (And How to Fix It)

Many senior leaders say they want an organization filled with psychological safety and candor, but they often act in ways that are counterproductive to that goal. Charles Duhigg, an author and researcher, has looked deeply into the secrets of good communication, and says there are specific things leaders can do to improve their relationships at work, and thus the culture of the organization. He shares practical, research-backed strategies for building teams where people feel safe to challenge ideas, raise concerns, and contribute openly, from “ostentatious listening” to structuring meetings so every voice is heard. Duhigg wrote the book Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.

You can listen to Why Your Team Won’t Speak Up (And How to Fix It) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why Your Team Won’t Speak Up (And How to Fix It) is an episode from HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review.

This episode is 31:30 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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