Stephen Merchant, a singing chef and forging creative space. Image courtesy of Wikimedia. I recently watched an interview with Stephen Merchant on Seth Meyers' show, where he shared a fascinating story about how he encouraged his writers to come up with insults directed at him. This exercise, while humorous, was also a deliberate attempt to create a psychologically safe environment—one where his team felt comfortable enough to express themselves freely, even if it meant poking fun at him. The clip can be found online if you search for "Stephen Merchant Seth Meyers insults." or here https://www.tiktok.com/@latenightseth/video/7377777653098482987 Around the same time, I attended a wedding where I witnessed something similar. Guests at the reception felt uninhibited enough to pick up their napkins and spin them in the air while singing, prompted by a singing chef who had clearly made it safe for them to engage in such a playful act (yes even I did it). This seemingly s...