Under pressure, capable people don't lose their skills — they lose access to them, as fear shuts down the brain's decision-making centre. That's according to leadership advisor and psychotherapist Errol Amerasakara, owner of Bluestone Edge, who has spent almost two decades working with executive teams and elite sporting organisations on trust and performance. 

Errol unpacks his concept of "adaptive safety", explaining how teams stay honest, connected and capable of learning when stakes are high, and why psychological safety is too often confused with comfort. He shares the micro-behaviours that build or erode trust in thirty seconds, how leaders should read silence in a room, and why the best teams debrief weekly rather than waiting for the next offsite. 

Takeaways  

• Fear physiologically shuts down the brain's skills and decision-making centre. 
• Teams unconsciously mirror each other's stress through nervous system contagion. 
• Psychological safety means willingness to speak up, not mere comfort. 
• Adaptive safety must be built continuously through small daily behaviours. 
• Micro-behaviours in any given moment build or erode team trust. 
• Debriefing weekly builds a team's muscle for honest self-reflection. 
• Leaders should stay curious about silence rather than rushing decisions. 
• Shorter gaps between insight and action signal stronger team safety. 

Follow Errol Amerasekera 
https://errolamerasekera.com/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-amerasekera-a254154/ 

Errol’s book
From Fear to Flow: The Adaptive Safety Revolution https://link.amazon/B0aNthDCI 

Books recommended 
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World by Ronald A. Heifetz https://link.amazon/B0gKTELR5 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners 

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