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If leaders aren't aware of the power they wield and its impact on others, they're much more likely to exercise it in ways that compromise psychosocial safety, a leadership specialist says.

It's natural to have blind spots, but when people hold positions of power, the phenomenon is magnified, according to behavioural scientist and Diamond Leadership founder Julie Diamond.

And when a leader lacks insight into their impact on others, this exposes an organisation to risk, she tells HR Daily.

If employees aren't "speaking up, naming issues, taking risks [and] being willing to be controversial", leaders need to consider their part in the problem.

They might be behaving in problematic ways that are fairly low-level – they haven't yet resulted in a complaint or a breach of policy – but their behaviour nonetheless requires action...