Continuous learning, adaptability, and strong support networks are the foundations for thriving teams, Matthew Card mentioned in his presentation about inclusive leadership at Qcon London. Trust is built through consistent, fair leadership and addressing toxic behaviour, bias, and microaggressions early. By fostering growth, psychological safety, and accountability, people-first leadership drives resilience, collaboration, and performance.
Building an organisation where people can truly thrive starts with intention, Card said. It’s not just about assembling a team with the right technical skill sets; it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe, valued, and empowered to do their best work.
Encouraging continuous learning is a key pillar, Card explained:
People thrive when they’re growing, not just in technical areas, but also in soft skills like resilience and adaptability. I often support this in 1:1s and reviews by helping team members set personal development goals that strengthen these capabilities.
In a fast-moving industry like ours, fostering flexibility and adaptability is vital, Card said. Thriving doesn’t always mean thriving under pressure. It means creating space for people to adapt, experiment, and recover.
Creating support networks and staff communities is crucial, Card argued. These give people outlets to connect, reflect, and recharge, and help reinforce a culture of care and collaboration.
You have to address toxic behaviour, ideally immediately when it happens, Card said. Ignoring it sends the wrong signal. Dealing with it effectively becomes much easier when you’ve already established a clear standard of behaviour and your team knows you are fair, consistent, and values-driven, he mentioned.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for dealing with toxic behaviour; it depends on the severity, Card explained:
For less severe cases, I see it as a chance for growth. You can treat it as a learning opportunity and guide people through course corrections. Taking the time to work through these situations thoughtfully may take longer in the short term, but the long-term impact on team culture and trust is well worth it.
Trust builds over time through small interactions. When people know what to expect and how to interact with each other in tough moments, trust is formed, Card argued. Once trust is embedded, teams are more likely to take risks by putting themselves out there to be wrong and fail fast, and that is where the magic happens.
You need to actively address bias and microaggressions. If left unchallenged, they quietly erode trust and belonging. Being proactive, fair, and consistent in addressing these behaviours signals your values clearly to the wider organisation, Card said.
At the heart of it all is the belief that people-first leadership is performance leadership, Card said. When we take the time to build inclusive, resilient cultures, success follows, not just for the business, but for everyone within it, he concluded.
InfoQ interviewed Matthew Card about psychological safety, trust, and resilience.
InfoQ: What role do psychological safety and trust play in shaping culture?
Matthew Card: To me, psychological safety is the next level up from a trusting environment. Both are the foundations of any healthy, high-performing culture. Without them, people hold back; they’re less likely to share ideas, admit mistakes, or challenge the status quo. And that means your team won’t grow, innovate, or build strong relationships.
If you want to build a culture that lasts, where people thrive, not just survive, then building trust and safety isn’t optional. It has to be intentional. And once it’s in place, it unlocks everything else: collaboration, resilience, accountability, and growth.
InfoQ: What have you done to increase resilience in your organisation?
Card: I promote it, teach it, and—most importantly—actively live it.
- In 1:1s and performance reviews, where relevant, I encourage my direct reports to set personal development objectives focused on soft skills, including resilience—such as becoming more adaptable, developing a growth mindset, improving emotional intelligence, and building greater self-awareness. Emotional intelligence alone is a massive topic with so much more to explore—one that often sparks deeper conversations. These objectives help normalise resilience as a core leadership capability.
- In group settings, I try to model resilience through my actions—whether it’s how I make decisions or how I handle challenging situations. Leading by example sends a strong, consistent message.
- I’ve also delivered talks and facilitated workshops that promote self-reflection and break down the core components of resilience—and if you remember C.A.P.S., you’ll never forget them: Confidence, Adaptability, Purposefulness, and Social Support. These sessions create space for people to explore what resilience means in their context.
- Finally, I’ve helped create and support employee communities and networks that offer peer connection, safe outlets, and shared learning. These spaces play a critical role in reinforcing resilience across the organisation by making sure people feel supported and seen.