RESEARCH_FILE
Ingrid M. Nembhard
Yale School of Public Health
Known for:Research on leader inclusiveness in healthcare teams — showing that specific verbal behaviors from leaders can close the status-based psychological safety gap that suppresses the voices of lower-status team members
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“If it's not perfect, it's worthless”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Done is data. Perfect is a hiding place.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open one unfinished project, circle or highlight a single imperfection, and then write a one-sentence note at the top that says what makes it usable as-is. Stop there and close it without further editing.
Key findings
- 2006
In a study of 23 neonatal ICUs with Edmondson, Nembhard found that lower-status professionals had lower psychological safety than higher-status ones, and that 'leader inclusiveness' — verbally inviting, acknowledging, and expressing gratitude for contributions — specifically reduced this status penalty. Making It Safe: The Effects of Leader Inclusiveness and Professional Status on Psychological Safety and Improvement Efforts in Health Care Teams ↗