Why Do People Hold Back Their Ideas at Work?
Most organizations say they want innovation, new ideas, fresh thinking, people who challenge the status quo. But inside teams, something quieter is happening. People are holding back.
Not because they don’t have ideas, but because of what those ideas might cost them. The fear of being wrong. The hesitation that comes with speaking up in front of more senior voices. The discomfort of saying something that might create friction.
In this episode of Breaking the Chain, Nathaniel Chapman and Terentia Browne sit down with Richard Braden and Dr. Tessa Forshaw to unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface and why so many people hesitate to share their thinking at work.
Between them, Richard and Tessa bring a powerful combination of real-world innovation experience and cognitive science. Richard has spent over 15 years leading design thinking and innovation work, teaching at Harvard, Stanford, and London Business School, and advising global organizations like Google, Microsoft, and Airbnb. Tessa, an Outland Scholar at Harvard’s Next Level Lab, focuses on how we think, learn, and make decisions and how those patterns show up in the workplace.
Together, they introduce a concept that sits at the heart of this conversation: innovation hesitation.
It’s not that people aren’t creative. It’s that something is getting in the way.
In the episode, they explore:
- Why people feel unsafe sharing ideas, even in organizations that encourage innovation
- The myths we’ve been taught about creativity (and why most of them aren’t true)
- What’s actually happening in our brains when we hold back
- And how leaders can start to shift this without needing to change the entire organization
One of the most powerful ideas they unpack is this: culture doesn’t change because we say it does. It changes through what people experience every day.
Which means the shift doesn’t have to start at the top, It can start with a team. With a moment. With a leader who creates space for someone to try, speak up, or even get it wrong.
If you’ve ever wondered why your team isn’t sharing ideas or felt yourself holding back, this episode will challenge how you think about creativity, culture, and what it really takes to unlock both.
🎧 Listen to the full episode to explore how small shifts can start to change the way people show up at work.
