The Expert Trap: How being the smartest person in the room can become your biggest liability

The Silence Tax: Why psychological safety isn't soft—it's the operating system your team runs on

Psychological safety shapes team performance more than talent alone. In this episode of You Might Try This, Stacey and Cade unpack the real meaning of psychological safety and why most organizations misunderstand it. They discuss the hidden cost of silence in organizations, how leaders accidentally shut down dissent, and why “nice” teams often make worse decisions. Stacey and Cade also share practical leadership experiments for creating environments where people feel safe enough to challenge ideas, admit mistakes, and raise concerns before problems escalate. What You’ll Learn: • Why the highest-performing teams report more mistakes, not fewer • The connection between psychological safety and decision quality • How leaders unintentionally discourage honest feedback • Why polite agreement can be more dangerous than open conflict • The role dissent plays in stronger team performance • Three practical ways to encourage more candid conversations at work Chapters 00:00: Amy Edmondson and the origins of psychological safety 05:08: Why teams fail when people stop speaking up 09:07: The hidden cost of silence and fake agreement 13:48: Why dissent makes teams smarter 19:32: Leadership behaviors that destroy psychological safety 26:36: Three practical experiments to build safer, more honest teams #WorkplaceCulture [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23WorkplaceCulture] #leadership [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23leadership] #Communication [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23Communication] #workplacesafety [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23workplacesafety] You Might Try This is a leadership podcast about learning how to lead without losing yourself along the way. Through research, coaching insights, and practical experiments, Stacey Philpot and Cade Cowan help leaders navigate the real challenges of modern work. To learn more about us and the podcast, visit youmighttrythis.com and check us out on social media @youmighttrythis

The Pressure Decision: How to think clearly when the stakes are high and the clock is running

When the pressure is on and the clock is ticking, most leaders don’t rise to the level of their best thinking, they fall back on instinct. In this episode of You Might Try This, Cade Cowan and Stacey Philpot break down what actually happens in high-stakes decision-making moments, and why even experienced leaders can make poor calls under pressure. What You’ll Learn: • why pressure causes even smart leaders to make worse decisions • how your brain’s “system one” thinking takes over under stress • the difference between one-way and two-way decisions and why it matters • how to interrupt reactive thinking with simple, practical questions • how to build a stronger “pattern library” for better decision-making over time Chapters 00:00 How pressure impacts decision-making 04:49 System 1 vs. System 2 thinking 08:49 Stress, physiology, and leadership 13:21 One-way doors and two-way doors 18:13 Emotional pattern matching under pressure 22:23 Three tools for better decisions To learn more about us and the podcast, visit youmighttrythis.com and check us out on social media @youmighttrythis

The Boss Equation: How to build the most important relationship in your career without losing your integrity

Managing up can feel uncomfortable, but avoiding it can quietly stall your career. In this episode of You Might Try This, hosts Stacey Philpot and Cade Cowan unpack why your relationship with your boss is the most important one at work. They explore the hidden risks of being “invisibly excellent” or overly agreeable, and why both approaches can limit your impact. Stacey and Cade reframe managing up as a mutual responsibility and share practical ways to build trust, increase visibility, and stay aligned. If you’ve ever felt overlooked or misunderstood, this episode offers a more intentional path forward. What You’ll Learn: • Why managing up is essential for career growth • What your boss actually needs from you (and why it matters) • The risks of being “invisibly excellent” or overly agreeable • How visibility and honesty build trust with your boss • Simple ways to stay aligned and strengthen your working relationship Chapters 00:00 Why managing up feels uncomfortable 03:19 The hidden cost of ignoring your boss relationship 05:03 Mutual dependence: what your boss needs from you 07:21 Transparency, trust, and the “no surprises” rule 10:10 Bringing judgment—not just information 12:11 The trap of over-compliance and becoming invisible 17:37 The risk of being “invisibly excellent” 21:11 Visibility vs. bragging: reframing self-advocacy 21:54 Practical experiments: boss audit, assumption check, alignment check To learn more about us and the podcast, visit youmighttrythis.com and check us out on social media @youmighttrythis #leadership [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23leadership] #careergrowth [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23careergrowth] #management [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23management] #workplacecommunication [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23workplacecommunication] #professionaldevelopment [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23professionaldevelopment] #leadershipdevelopment [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23leadershipdevelopment] #podcast [https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast]

The Conflict Reflex: Why your default response to tension is working against you—and what to do instead.

Why do we still avoid difficult conversations, even when we know the cost? In this episode, Stacey Philpot and Cade Cowan explore the hidden reflexes driving conflict avoidance and escalation at work. Drawing on neuroscience and behavioral research, they explain how our brains interpret social conflict as physical pain, triggering automatic responses like silence or aggression. The discussion goes beyond awareness to offer practical ways to get “upstream” of these reactions by identifying what you’re protecting, whether it’s your relationships, self-image, or sense of control. Takeaways * Avoidance is often a reflex, not a choice * Conflict activates a biological threat response * Your default conflict style gets reinforced over time * Your reflexes are protecting something within you * How to get ahead of your reaction Chapters 00:00 Understanding Your Conflict Reflex 01:16 Why Knowing Isn’t Enough to Change Behavior 03:01 The Science Behind Conflict Avoidance and Reaction 06:37 Silence vs. Escalation: Two Common Conflict Patterns 11:12 Identifying Your Triggers and Contextual Responses 16:48 What Your Reflex Is Protecting 22:04 A Practical Method to Interrupt Your Reflex To learn more about us and the podcast, visit youmighttrythis.com and check us out on social media @youmighttrythis

The Courage Tax: What you pay every time you delay the conversation that needs to happen

Why do difficult conversations feel so much harder the longer we avoid them? In this episode, Stacey and Cade unpack the hidden “taxes” leaders pay when they delay hard conversations at work; from damaged relationships and declining performance to mental overload and unnecessary anxiety. They explore why silence often costs more than honesty. The conversation offers practical tools for leaders, including how to start difficult conversations, avoid climbing the ladder of inference, and use curiosity instead of judgment. Takeaways * Avoidance has real costs * Silence is often misinterpreted * The story in your head is usually worse than reality * Start with observable facts, not assumptions * Choose the right opening Chapters 00:00 The Cost of Avoiding Difficult Conversations 01:11 The Conversation You’ve Been Putting Off 03:05 The Hidden “Taxes” of Avoidance 06:50 Why Leaders Avoid Giving Feedback 08:22 The Cognitive Load of Unspoken Issues 10:26 Why Difficult Conversations Feel Worse Than They Are 17:52 How to Start a Difficult Conversation If you’re a leader struggling to bring up hard topics, this is the episode for you. To learn more about us and the podcast, visit youmighttrythis.com and check us out on social media @youmighttrythis