Thought-Bubble Bursters Make the Best Leaders

“Should I share my thoughts? I’m afraid he’ll get defensive.”  

“I think I made a big mistake, but what’s the use of bringing it up?”

 “I can’t believe she did that again. It makes us look bad.”

In many workplaces, team members keep quiet when it matters most. This silent tension often goes unnoticed but causes deep harm. At Next Arrow, we call this Thought-Bubble Syndrome (TBS). This is more common than you think.

Only 30% of employees believe their voice truly matters at work. Even worse, 85% say they avoid addressing important concerns to their managers. That silence slows progress, weakens trust, and makes work more challenging for everyone.

So, as a leader, how do you cure TBS? Create a bubble-bursting environment!

What Makes Thought-Bubble Bursters Different?

Research shows that creating an environment where people feel like they belong and are safe to take interpersonal risks can help alleviate TBS.

Thought-bubble bursters create space for truth. They lead in a way that encourages people to speak up, take ownership, and deal with conflict instead of avoiding it. They know how to build trust, invite new ideas, and help their teams learn from every experience.

At the core of this approach is one mindset: safety. People share openly when they feel safe, physically and psychologically. When teams feel safe to ask questions, admit mistakes, and offer feedback, performance goes up across the board.

We focus on four key SAFE skills that help leaders turn quiet teams into connected ones:

• State the why

• Ask (a lot of) questions

• Frame failures

• Enable feedback

State the why 

When leaders connect the act of speaking up to the team’s success, it shifts the culture. Team members understand that sharing thoughts is a must of the job, not just a nice-to-have.

In today’s fast-moving workplaces, teams need to problem-solve together. That only happens when people speak up. Leaders need to make that connection clear, early, and often. From interviews to onboarding to 1-on-1s, every touchpoint is a chance to show that open dialogue drives better outcomes.

A strong example of this comes from Ochsner Health. They start each meeting with a patient story—sometimes one of success or failure. This keeps the team focused on what matters and reminds everyone that their voice helps move the mission forward.

Research shows that linking action to something greater than self is one of the most powerful ways to generate courage. This is how you get people to speak up.

Ask (a lot of) Questions  

Curiosity signals respect. When leaders ask questions, they show humility and value other perspectives. This is how trust builds.

The key is not only asking questions but framing them with openness:

• “I might be missing something. What’s your take?”

• “I’m sure I have some blind spots. What’s another way of seeing this?”

• “I have a few thoughts, but I’d love to hear from you first.”

Leaders who ask with care create space for deeper thinking and better decisions. They show they’re not afraid to be wrong and want to learn from the team.

Frame failures 

Leaders who talk about mistakes create a culture where learning beats blame. When teams know it’s okay to stumble, they’re more likely to try, stretch, and grow.

That shift starts with leaders. Saying “I messed that up” can be one of the most powerful things a leader does. It invites others to reflect and talk about how they’ll move forward, too.

There are easy ways to build this mindset into daily work:

• In interviews, ask “What are your best failures?”

• In onboarding, share how the team approaches mistakes

• In 1-on-1s, give feedback about how someone handled a setback

• In team meetings, ask “What can we learn from this?”

Some companies even celebrate failure. At P&G and Grey, teams get awards for bold, smart risks that didn’t work out. At Google X, teams receive bonuses when they shut down their own projects for the right reasons. These practices normalize learning and make failure a shared experience.

Enable feedback 

A strong feedback culture helps teams build deeper trust and get better together. However, leaders have to go beyond asking, “Do you have any feedback for me?”

Studies show that leaders should ask for advice instead of asking for feedback because it elicits more developmental and actionable data. As Shane Parrish, CEO of Syrus Partners, tweeted, “Asking for feedback creates a critic. Asking for advice creates a partner.”

Even better, leaders can share the feedback they’ve received to model openness. Doing this often leads team members to open up about their growth areas.

To keep things simple:

• Ask for advice, not feedback

• Share the tough feedback you’re working on

• Encourage others to do the same

This approach builds connection and helps people see that feedback isn’t something to fear. It’s something to use.

Let’s Bring It All Together

When leaders practice SAFE skills, they build cultures where truth rises fast and collaboration is beneficial. Thought-bubble bursters make work feel human again.

NextArrow helps leaders build these skills with hands-on workshops, leadership coaching, and team experiences that create lasting change. Our programs merge behavioral insights with practical tools to help leaders, managers, and individual contributors grow stronger.

From one-on-one coaching to team development programs, we design experiences that meet your needs and scale across your organization. We work with groups of up to 30 and build sessions that people enjoy.

So go ahead—burst the bubble. Let’s help your team say what matters. Contact us today.