As part of Project Aristotle, Google studied hundreds of their internal teams to identify what made them successful. Researchers found one factor that wasmost critical to making a team work: psychological safety, a shared belief that each person could take risks or make mistakes without fear of being shamed.

Whether leaders are the biggest enablers of — or the biggest barriers to — psychologically safe teams depends in large part on the leadership styles they use in different situations.

In this class, we will focus on four leadership approaches — consultative, supportive, challenging, and authoritative — and when to use each in support of a positive climate where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, asking for help, or challenging the status quo.