The role of leaders regarding safety

Working currently as a Career Manager with the combination of being a leader for 20 years helps me to see safety from a different perspective.

I am working in the field of safety for 6 years with IBS, where I had the possibility to meet people from very different cultures, countries and hierarchical levels.

Every employee has an impact on the organization´s culture, but leadership has by far the biggest and most direct effect on the development of the safety culture, which is part of the company culture.

Have you ever heard about the Mirror Neurons?
Here is a short video about it, which explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq1-ZxV9Dc4

Complex brain-imaging tools allow researchers to study the brain and revolutionize the understanding of how we learn. As a result, today we know more about learning and we can include the results into our training and development programs.
The behaviour and communication of the leaders affects the behaviour and self-esteem of the staff and whether they see mistakes as opportunities for learning or failures that harm the self-confidence of the employee.

Leaders have the responsibility to demonstrate the values of the company and reinforce behaviours that reflect those values. Walk the talk.

To reinforce “Safety First” in an every day set up, leaders have the role to act always in a way, knowing that employees are watching them. They are 0-24 on the stage in the spotlight.

Employees will follow them, using their Mirror Neurons, copying their behaviour and engagement towards safety.

Safety first: Where the company cares about their employees

There is only 1 culture and 1 person. You can not divide the professional life from the personal life. Both are going and growing hand-in-hand.

There are only a few researches how a good safety culture is mirrored in “business numbers”, but a paper from Gallup from 2017 found that employees who thrive in five core elements of well-being are 81% less likely to quit their job, saving their company money on healthcare when more than physical needs are met. Safety is an integral part of it!
Work attendance increases. Customer ratings go up. Problems get solved more quickly! Employees coop better with change – this is what most of the leaders would like to see. How to create this environment? Walk the talk, be the role model the champion in safety and you have it!