The Power of the ‘51% Rule’: Christine Carrillo on Fostering Psychological Safety in Leadership

In a recent LinkedIn post, Christine Carrillo delves into the critical distinction between leading and controlling within a team environment, emphasizing the importance of psychological safety for business growth. Carrillo asserts that true leadership empowers team members to voice their opinions and challenge decisions, a stark contrast to a controlling approach that stifles innovation and hinders scalability.

Distinguishing Leadership from Control

Carrillo opens by posing a direct question to leaders: “If your team’s scared to challenge you, You’re not leading. You’re controlling.” She argues that many managers prioritize their ego and the need to have all the answers, a mindset that can significantly impede the progress of scaling businesses. This tendency, she suggests, stems from a desire to maintain an image of infallibility rather than fostering an environment where the best ideas can emerge and be implemented.

“Too many managers make calls to feed their ego. They want to have all the answers, even if it slows everything down. That sh*t kills scaling businesses.”

The core of Carrillo’s argument revolves around her personal leadership rule: granting her team “51% of the vote.” This principle, as explained in her post, signifies that the team’s decision holds precedence as long as it aligns with the company’s values and overarching goals. This approach, Carrillo highlights, is not merely about delegation but about building trust and empowering individuals.

The ‘51% Rule’ in Action

Carrillo elaborates on the tangible benefits of this leadership strategy. By giving her team the final say in many decisions, she fosters a sense of ownership and demonstrates explicit trust in their judgment. This, in turn, encourages team members to actively contribute and speak up, knowing their input is valued and impactful.

“It doesn’t just grow the business: → It shows I trust their judgment → It gives the team ownership → It makes them speak up”

She provides a real-world example from her own experience, recounting how a writer on her team felt empowered to challenge a draft, identifying that it was “doing too much” and needed a more focused direction. The writer’s willingness to speak up and her subsequent refinement of the draft led to a successful outcome. Carrillo emphasizes that without this psychological safety, the confusing draft might have been published, underscoring the potential pitfalls of a command-and-control leadership style.

Unlocking Team Potential Through Safety

According to Christine Carrillo, the ultimate goal of effective leadership is not to be right, but to cultivate an environment where the “best idea in the room” can be identified and acted upon. She posits that when team members feel secure enough to voice dissent or offer alternative perspectives, even if it means telling their leader they are wrong, it unlocks their full potential and leads to collective success.

“When your team feels safe enough to say ‘You’re wrong.’ That’s when you unlock their potential and win.”

Carrillo concludes by inviting her audience to reflect on their own leadership practices, asking, “How do you make sure your team feels safe to speak up?” This call to action encourages further dialogue and self-assessment among leaders seeking to build more effective and empowering teams.