Laboratory leaders are often tasked with strengthening culture while managing complex compliance requirements. Yet in many labs, quality systems such as ISO/IEC 17025 are treated as technical frameworks rather than leadership tools—separate from the behaviors that shape trust, accountability, and team performance.
During the 2026 Lab Manager Safety Digital Summit session From Compliance to Leadership: Building Psychological Safety, Brenda Shalloo, principal consultant at Coffee Pot Consulting, challenged that divide. She argued that compliance systems are not separate from leadership, but are the mechanism through which leaders shape behavior, build trust, and establish psychological safety in laboratories.
Building psychological safety in laboratories through leadership behaviors
Shalloo emphasized that culture is defined by daily actions rather than written policies. “You can say that till you're blue in the face,” she noted, but without consistent behavior, “you're not going to get out of your coworkers what you're looking for.”
Leaders who rely on fear-based responses may achieve compliance, but they often suppress visibility into risk. Shalloo warned that when people anticipate negative reactions, “they're no longer going to tell you…they're going to hide it,” limiting opportunities to identify and address issues early.
In contrast, leaders who respond consistently and constructively create psychological safety in laboratories, where employees feel comfortable speaking up. This shift requires moving away from individual blame and toward system-level thinking. As Shalloo explained, leaders must “put the blame on the system rather than the person,” using coaching and collaboration instead of punishment.
Using ISO/IEC 17025 leadership principles to guide decision-making
Shalloo highlighted that laboratory quality systems provide a structured framework for leadership, particularly under pressure. When systems are designed effectively, they offer a clear path forward. “Now we’re making a decision under pressure, but we already thought about this preemptively,” she said, emphasizing how compliance tools can guide consistent and ethical responses.
This structured approach supports psychological safety in laboratories by reducing uncertainty and reinforcing fairness. Rather than reacting emotionally, leaders respond through established systems. “You are not reacting…you are responding through a well-thought-out, well-designed system,” Shalloo explained.
Over time, this consistency builds trust. Employees begin to raise concerns earlier, share ideas more freely, and engage more actively in improvement efforts. Shalloo noted that when leaders respond predictably, people speak up sooner: “they are going to alert you of a risk [or] an opportunity.”
Shifting corrective action systems from blame to learning
Corrective action systems are a core component of laboratory quality systems, yet they are often perceived as punitive. Shalloo challenged this approach, encouraging leaders to treat mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than assigning fault.
“Mistakes should not be a negative thing,” she said. “It gives you information that is valuable,” allowing teams to examine systems and identify areas for improvement.
This perspective aligns with ISO/IEC 17025 leadership principles, which emphasize continual improvement. Rather than focusing on individual errors, leaders should investigate what allowed the issue to occur. “You find out what part of your system allowed that individual to make that mistake,” Shalloo explained, shifting the focus toward sustainable solutions.
Engaging employees in this process is critical. Individuals closest to the work often have the clearest understanding of operational challenges. When leaders involve them in identifying causes and implementing solutions, they reinforce both accountability and psychological safety in laboratories.
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Strengthening accountability through competency-based training
Shalloo also underscored that competency-based training is essential for effective laboratory quality systems. Attendance alone does not ensure understanding. “It's not, hey, you showed up at a lecture … now you're competent,” she said, emphasizing that competency requires demonstrated ability.
Leaders can reinforce competency by observing work, asking questions, and supporting retraining without stigma. When employees feel safe acknowledging gaps in knowledge, they are more likely to improve. This approach strengthens psychological safety in laboratories by reinforcing the expectation and support for learning.
“Learning should not be a negative,” Shalloo noted, adding that leaders must provide the tools and support necessary for employees to succeed.
Assigning improvement projects to employees who identify opportunities further reinforces engagement. Even when ideas cannot be implemented immediately, transparent communication helps maintain trust and supports ISO/IEC 17025 leadership principles.
Reinforcing culture through continuous improvement
Continuous improvement is a defining element of laboratory quality systems and a key driver of culture. Shalloo emphasized that improvement must become a habit reinforced over time. When employees see their ideas implemented, they are more likely to remain engaged and contribute to future improvements.
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Small improvements can have a significant impact, particularly in high-risk environments. “Those very small corrections are going to prevent those major failures,” Shalloo said, highlighting the connection between incremental change and overall safety performance.
Consistency is critical. Leaders must respond in a measured and predictable way to encourage ongoing participation. “Consistency beats intensity,” Shalloo explained, noting that strong reactions can discourage employees from engaging with improvement processes.
A systems-based approach to leadership and culture
Shalloo concluded that culture is shaped by systems, not statements. Leaders who intentionally design systems that reward transparency and support learning can sustainably build psychological safety in laboratories.
“The strongest leadership signal is not what you say,” she said, “it is what you consistently reinforce.”
This systems-based approach requires leaders to respond predictably, focus on behavior rather than intent, and engage employees in continuous improvement. By embedding these principles into laboratory quality systems, organizations can move beyond compliance and create environments that are both high-performing and resilient.
Compliance frameworks are not just regulatory tools. When applied effectively, they provide a foundation for leadership, enabling teams to build trust, improve communication, and sustain performance through psychological safety in laboratories.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
