Making space for truth in Speak-Up Culture
There is no shortage of books that encourage people to “be brave” or “use their voice”. What Speak-Up Culture does differently is acknowledge how hard that actually is.
Stephen Shedletsky writes from a place of lived experience, drawing on his time at IDEO and his work on psychological safety, to explore why organisations so often say they want honesty but struggle to hear it. From the outset, it’s clear this is not about forcing people to speak, but about creating conditions where speaking feels worthwhile.
Reading the book, I was struck by how often silence is misinterpreted. Lack of challenge is mistaken for agreement. Harmony for health. Shedletsky patiently dismantles these assumptions, showing how fear, uncertainty and power dynamics shape what gets said, and what doesn’t.
What works particularly well is the balance between realism and optimism. The book doesn’t pretend that all voices should carry equal weight at all times, nor that every concern must be acted upon. Instead, it focuses on fairness, transparency and follow-through. If you invite input, you have a responsibility to respond well to it.
I found myself reflecting on moments where organisations unintentionally trained people not to speak up. Ideas ignored. Questions deflected. Signals, however small, that honesty came with a cost. Speak-Up Culture offers practical ways to reverse those patterns, not through slogans, but through consistent leadership behaviour.
This is a thoughtful, grounded book that understands both the courage required to speak and the discipline required to listen. It’s particularly relevant for leaders who genuinely want challenge, but may not yet realise how their own reactions shape what they hear.
If you are serious about learning the truth of what is happening in your organisation, rather than the version filtered through politeness or fear, this is a book worth spending time with.
