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Lara Nettle is a Master of Change & Organisational Resilience Alumni
From lived experience to research to real-world change, Master of Change & Organisational Resilience graduate Lara Nettle shows how psychologically safe spaces help young people and their adults show up, learn, and thrive.
The spark
When Lara joined the Master of Change and Organisational Resilience (MCOR), she wasn’t chasing a badge; she was seeking a better way for kids — especially neurodivergent kids— to be themselves and be heard. As she put it, “existence is resistance,” yet she refused to stop there: “I want to address the structures… because people care about people.” She grounded her research in the neurodiversity paradigm, the social model of disability, and decolonising perspectives, and kept young people at the centre through co-creation:
“It would be a betrayal of the kids who trusted me with their stories if I wrote those 35,000 words and left it in a drawer.”
What kids told her
Too many children learn early that fitting in feels safer than being real. Lara heard stories where needs were framed as failings. One line from the field captures it:
“Kids overwhelmingly feel misunderstood.”
Rather than blame, she chose design: change the environment so participation can change. As one student’s response reminded her of the stakes: at school he felt safe, but when she asked if he could be himself, his answer was a flat, laughing “No!”
The experiment: play as a serious tool
Her case study is the Gamechangers League, tabletop role-playing in small, stable teams led by highly skilled facilitators.
The Dungeon Master is “the lead storyteller… and the arbiter of rules,” but also a coach in “emotional regulation, interpersonal communication, [and] conflict resolution.”
Two hours a week becomes a micro-team with clear norms and language that calls people in, not out. The phrase that signals culture is simple and powerful: “We don’t do that here.”
Growth shows up in quiet moments. Maths anxiety meets “coloured number rocks.” Writing starts with a name on a character sheet. As Lara explains, by de-emphasising performance, “they learn and they grow because they have psychological safety.”
The insight
Psychological safety isn’t a poster; it’s a condition teams can feel. Lara cites the classic lesson from team research: in high-safety groups “they were reporting more errors”—and because they reported them, outcomes improved. In her rooms the translation is practical: kids advocate (“please may I have a chance to speak?”), name needs (“fidgeting supports my focus”), and contribute without fear of being shut down.
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What psychological safety looks like - Lara’s version
Psychological safety starts with leaders modelling the vulnerability they want to see—naming their needs so others have the language and permission to name theirs (“I have ADHD… when you do this, I can’t concentrate”). It’s designed for human variability, treating light, noise, smell, and pace as adjustable parameters rather than quirks to tolerate. It’s built through teachable norms; cues such as “We don’t do that here” that invite people into the culture. And it grows best when you build it early: in Lara’s image, when the plant is small you need “a big watering can,” and over time “it becomes self-sustaining.”
How leaders can start today
Ask the baseline question. “Can I go to my manager and tell her that I’m autistic?” If the honest answer in your context is “I’m not sure,” start there.
Model and normalise. “If I don’t have shame about my own diagnosis, I can then model that for other people so that they don’t feel shame.”
Reward learning signals. Swap paralysis for movement: “If you’re in the wrong and you feel guilt, that is motivating. But if you feel shame, that is paralyzing. More guilt, less shame.”
From research to practice
Lara’s pathway is a study in applied change. She names the drive plainly - “I suffer from what I call an overactive responsibility gland” - and couples it with wiser pacing so the work sustains. The outcome is culture you can hear in a child’s soft correction or see in a student finally writing their name: safety turning into participation, then contribution.
What’s next
Lara is extending her model to young adults and others seeking connection. The promise remains clear:
“Acceptance of human variability is a basic precondition to psychological safety for everybody.”
When people feel safe to be themselves, they learn more and give more.
About MCOR at academyEX
The Master of Change and Organisational Resilience equips working professionals to analyse complex systems, design for inclusion, and turn research into practical change, alongside a cohort that helps you test ideas in real settings.
Want to build cultures where people thrive? Download our MCOR guide to find out more.