Fearless Schools: Building Trust, Resilience, and Psychological Safety

by Douglas Reeves

teachers and leaders push the boulders uphill, making progress against all odds, and can succeed—the top of the hill is in sight.

then comes another broken promise, another b...

another i...

and another puncture in what had seemed to be the impenetrable armor of...

This is how trust is destroyed, and how fearless teachers and leaders are turned into cynical, fearful, and...

We all approach decisions with bias.

For example, there is a pervasive bias for tall people in leadership selection. Although only 15% of the population is over six feet tall, 58% of U.S. CEOs are at or above that height. Only 4% of the population is taller than six foot two; 33% of CEOs are at or above that height

Researchers also find bias against men,

Racism takes on four forms: individual, institutional, interpersonal, and ideological.

We can learn from and respect leaders without worshiping them.

There is a difference between the danger zone, water that is too deep with uncertain currents—and the comfort zone, the shallow end of the pool where our feet can safety touch the ground.

Between the danger zone and comfort zone lies the opportunity for growth.

Jumping past the danger zone is ridiculou...

Past the comfort zone, by contrast, is the path of learning, experimentation, disappointment, success, and the growth that onl...

The formulaic myth is based on our striving to understand the process of leadership. We seek a checklist so that we can replicate

The attribution myth presumes that a single person, like Caesar, George Washington, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Winston Churchill, Mahatma

were singularly responsible for their victories. But serious students of history know that the attribution myth is an oversimplification of complex reality.

third myth is the results myth, in which we commit the classical logical error of post hoc, ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this). In other words, the leader who happens to be at the right place at the right time when victory happened, when popular opinion turne...

These three myths—formulaic myths, attribution myths, and results myths—form the basis for widespread misunderstanding of leadership. They also explain why, when the myths are proven baseless, we lose trust not only in the unmasked leader but also in the system for which the leader was responsible.

Myths leave in their wake a path of destruction, disinformation, and despair.

The most difficult time to challenge a myth is when things are looking great.

We want our heroes to be perfect, even when we know...

It is far easier to share blame than credit.

most important in leadership: integrity, intelligence, judgment, inquiry, willingness to seek disparate views, flexibility, courage, vision, empathy, and energy

Trust is not destroyed by challenge but by the failure to challenge with timely truth.

Inaccurate and incomplete information is not necessarily malicious.

Leaders operate with the best information available to them, and in general they do not mislead their followers deliberately.

we tend to prefer optimistic leader...

The medical evidence is clear that optimistic people enjoy better physical and mental health, have healthier lifestyl...

But optimism has its dark side, especially in leadership. When leaders express the view that “We can do anything!” and “It can’t be that hard—we’ve got the best people and can overcome any obsta...

Worse yet, it sends the signal that the boss doesn’t want...

They want to hear “Pay no attention to that bit of ice in the ocean” rath...

They certainly don’t want to hear that the budget for time and resources was underestimated and ...

It is their persistent failures and their ability to learn from those failures, including tragic ones, which allow for the successes

While the optimist intends to cheer people up and to motivate them, the leaders whose optimism blinds them to reality unintentionally diminish

their followers, making them feel incompet...

Saying to teachers and students, “Just work hard enough and a miracle will happen” does not motivate them but makes them think instead that only miracles, rather than personal agency, will serve them well.

It is encouragement, not fear, that motivates individuals and teams.

punishment never achieves the desired result.

low self-esteem in childhood;

holding positive attitudes about “spanking” as an adult.

It is not just the children who receive punishment but those who...

While we know that discipline is important, the term “discipline” shares the same root as “disciple”—a learner.

The question, therefore, is not whether children or adults deserve punishment.

the question is: how do they best learn? That is the one and only...

People of all ages learn through example, modeling, affirmation, encouragement, f...

They do not learn anything of value through punishment, except to fear whatever actions or attemp...

Punishment undermines trust, and it is the foremost threat to learning in any classroom, faculty meeting, professional learning community, cabinet meeting, or board room.

A punishment-free environment does not imply the absence of consequences for bad actions. Feedback that is timely and accurate is essential for adults and students.

Consequences for actions that are dangerous, inappropriate, and wrong can and must include removal from ...