August 26, 2025
Episode 152: Future-Proofing Teams Through Psychological Safety with Nogol Madani
In this episode of The Future of Teamwork, Dane Groeneveld interviews Nogol Madani, Founder & CEO of Glee Factor, to talk about future-proofing teams for the age of AI.
Nogol shares her journey from being an engineer in male-dominated industries to founding Glee Factor with a mission to uncover the core of high-performing, inclusive, and future-ready teams. Together, Dane and Nogol go deep into the concept of psychological safety – what it really means, why it’s misunderstood, and how it can make or break collaboration, innovation, and trust. She also explains why psychological safety isn’t just a “nice-to-have” – it’s cultural infrastructure that’s essential for teams navigating transformation and working alongside AI.
Nogol goes on to share why leaders must design low-stakes moments for their teams to take risks, why unlearning is just as important as learning, and how small, consistent actions can build a cultural infrastructure that supports innovation.
This conversation is a reminder that the future of teamwork isn’t just about technology – it’s about people, trust, and building workplaces where everyone feels safe to contribute their best ideas.
🔗 Connect with Nogol Madani on LinkedIn and on the Glee Factor website
Future-Proofing Teams Through Psychological Safety with Nogol Madani
Guest Bio
Nogol Madani is a future-focused workplace expert, speaker, and facilitator. She is the founder of Glee Factor, a company dedicated to helping leaders build high-performing, inclusive, future-ready teams through psychological safety. Nogol started her career as an engineer, and as a first generation immigrant and female professional, she experienced firsthand how many leaders weren’t unlocking potential, they were stifling it. This realization sparked her mission to help develop workplaces where people thrive.
Nogol has earned the trust of organizations like Google, SAP, Rio Tinto, Deloitte and Desjardins, guiding them to collaborate, communicate, and create better together. She is also a faculty member at the McGill Executive Institute, where she shares her expertise on leadership and team dynamics. Nogol believes that in the 21st century, organizations can transform lives, not just through what they create, but how they lead, especially in a future of work where both humans and machines must succeed together.
Key Takeaways
00:00 Introduction to the Future of Teamwork Podcast
01:24 Meet Nogol Madani: From Engineering to Team Building
03:53 The Concept of Psychological Safety
06:18 Challenges in Implementing Psychological Safety
09:29 The Role of Leaders in Promoting Psychological Safety
16:48 Practical Tools and Strategies for Teams
22:12 The Impact of Language on Team Dynamics
23:20 Trust and AI in the Workplace
24:24 Human-Centered Approaches to AI
29:46 Building Collective Confidence
33:06 Mindset Shifts and Psychological Safety
36:26 The Role of Experimentation in Innovation
42:14 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions
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