The Courage to Speak
leadership and communication workshop
Categories: Psychological Safety | Leadership | Communication | Team Development Ideal Duration: 60–90 minutes Experience Overview Every organisation says it values open communication. Yet many people still hesitate before asking a difficult question, challenging an assumption or admitting…
Workshop
Description
Categories: Psychological Safety | Leadership | Communication | Team Development
Ideal Duration: 60–90 minutes
Experience Overview
Every organisation says it values open communication. Yet many people still hesitate before asking a difficult question, challenging an assumption or admitting they don't know.
This interactive experience explores what happens in the moments before people decide whether to speak or stay silent. Through discussion, reflection and carefully designed group activities, participants examine the subtle signals that influence trust, confidence and participation within teams.
The session moves beyond the concept of psychological safety to explore how leaders and teams create environments where honest conversation becomes possible, particularly when the stakes are high.
Participants will:
- Understand the everyday conditions that encourage or discourage participation.
- Recognise the leadership signals that influence psychological safety.
- Explore practical ways to strengthen trust, curiosity and constructive challenge.
- Leave better equipped to create conversations where diverse perspectives can be shared with confidence.
Ideal for: Leadership teams, managers, cross-functional teams, culture programmes and organisations experiencing change.
Benefits
- Gain greater confidence in initiating and navigating difficult conversations.
- Build stronger trust by recognising the everyday behaviours that encourage openness and participation.
- Develop practical strategies for creating psychologically safer teams where questions, ideas and concerns can be shared with confidence.
- Strengthen communication by understanding the subtle leadership signals that influence whether people choose to speak or stay silent.
- Increase team cohesion through more open dialogue, constructive challenge and shared understanding.
- Develop greater empathy by exploring how different people experience the same conversation in different ways.
- Improve decision-making by creating conditions where diverse perspectives are heard before conclusions are reached.
- Foster a culture of curiosity, learning and continuous improvement by making honest conversation feel both possible and productive.
- Leave with practical approaches that can be applied immediately in meetings, one-to-one conversations and team discussions.
Hosted by Fionnuala Power
About the Host
I'm the founder of Fearless Forum Consulting, where I design and facilitate experiences that help leaders and teams think differently about culture, leadership and the human dynamics that shape organisational life. My career has never followed a single discipline. Beginning in law before moving into human resources, organisational development and inclusion, I've spent more than fifteen years working with organisations across corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors. Each role offered a different perspective, but I found myself drawn to the same questions about trust, participation, leadership and what helps people feel able to contribute their best thinking. Alongside my professional work, I've always been interested in the quieter aspects of human development. I'm a Reiki Master and Rahanni practitioner, and while these are distinct from my organisational practice, they have influenced the way I facilitate. They have deepened my appreciation for presence, listening, reflection and the importance of creating environments where people feel calm enough to think clearly and speak honestly. Professionally, I'm a Certified Fearless Organization Scan Practitioner and work with organisations to strengthen psychological safety, leadership and organisational culture. More recently, I've begun developing an emerging body of work that explores what happens to organisations when pressure changes how people interpret one another. That thinking now underpins much of my writing, speaking and facilitation. Outside work, I find perspective in nature, particularly by the sea. I've come to believe that some of our best thinking happens when there is enough space to notice what is really going on beneath the surface—whether that's within ourselves, our relationships or the systems we are part of. Ultimately, my work is about creating those spaces. Spaces where people can pause, think together, challenge assumptions and leave with a different understanding of themselves, one another and the cultures they are helping to shape.
Focus Areas
Development/Coaching
Location
Ireland
Languages
English
Travel Locations
Europe
Corporate Experience
Significant
Session Types Offered
Interactive & Passive
Past Experience Doing Sessions
Yes - Interactive
Photo Gallery
Workshops › Leadership & Development › The Courage to Speak