The Cost of Silence: Why Good People Don’t Speak Up (Ep. 53)

Why do good people remain silent when they see problems that need to be addressed? The problem schools face is not always that there is too much conflict. Sometimes the greater problem is too little: people hold back concerns, avoid questioning decisions, remain quiet about problems that everyone can see, or simply disengage.

Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, whose groundbreaking research introduced the concept of psychological safety, and civic leader Rich Harwood, founder of The Harwood Institute and author of The New Civic Path, join host Ken Futernick to examine the forces that produce silence—and what leaders can do to overcome them.

They explore how fear of criticism, the pressure to “get along,” and repeated reform efforts that promise much but deliver little can leave teachers and community members cynical, exasperated, and reluctant to speak. Silence, they explain, seldom means that people don’t care. It often means they no longer believe speaking up will make a difference.

Through compelling stories from schools, communities, and other organizations, Edmondson and Harwood describe how leaders can create the trust needed for honest dialogue and collective action. Their conversation explores the importance of humility, inquiry, shared aspirations, and the willingness to keep showing up. It also considers how educators can create classrooms where students feel safe expressing uncertain or unpopular ideas.

The result is a hopeful and practical conversation about moving beyond merely getting along—and learning how to face difficult truths and work together.