Written by Esteban Tristan, Ph.D., Director of Corporate Safety Solutions
In today’s high-stakes environment, understanding the impact of behaviors and leadership in safety is crucial for creating workplaces where proactive risk management and a strong culture of safety leadership are seamlessly integrated into everyday practices. One way to achieve that optimal environment where safety leadership is most effective is to employ the ‘L.E.A.D. Model.’ This model is based on research of the many behaviors of leaders that are necessary for successful safety leadership, and what it takes to truly change an organization’s safety culture.
What is safety leadership and why it matters?
Safety leadership is the prioritization of each employee’s safety on the job while simultaneously creating a culture where they feel comfortable voicing concerns about processes and working conditions. It’s important for employees in any organization to feel psychologically safe to share feedback or issues, but this becomes even more critical when it impacts the physical well-being of the workforce. This is where behaviors of leaders take center stage and set the tone for a healthy safety culture.
What are the 4 leadership behaviors of the L.E.A.D. Model?
Understanding the core behaviors of safety leadership outlined in the L.E.A.D. model will help leaders to establish the behaviors and leadership practices needed to create a safer and more productive workplace.
1. Lay out a vision
When was the last time you attended a safety briefing or toolbox talk that was engaging and actually inspired you? It’s a rare thing. Successful safety leaders excel in presenting their people with a compelling and motivating vision for safety that clearly demonstrates why it matters, as well as why they should care about it. Here’s how they do it:
- Be crystal clear – It should be very clear to everyone what the leader is asking for. Expectations and goals should be communicated in a straightforward manner, leaving no room for miscommunication.
- Make it personal – Leaders should share personal reasons behind their commitment to safety. This helps their team understand why it’s a core value and therefore furthers their ability to safely lead and navigate behaviors in the workplace.
2. Embrace change
As we all know, change is constant these days. When changes impact safety policies or procedures, strong safety leaders use this next step of the L.E.A.D. model to help convince their people of the benefits and successfully implement the changes, even when there is initial push back. So, how do they do this? Here are a couple of tips:
- Involve others – Leaders can get buy-in from their people by involving them in the process, getting input from them, and being open to new ideas on how to implement changes.
- Drive change – Get ahead of the change! Why wait for questions and confusion when you can proactively communicate the right way from the start?
3. Act as a coach
What do teams with a great safety culture tend to have in common? Often, it’s that their leader acts like more of a coach than a sergeant or a buddy. So how do you act like a coach when it comes to practicing safety leadership? In the next step of the L.E.A.D. model, leaders learn to:
- Actively listen – By listening to employees and asking questions before correcting an unsafe behavior, you completely change the paradigm and show how much their leader values and respects them as a person.
- Give timely and constructive feedback – Knowing how to give effective feedback is essential for safety leadership. Feedback should be balanced – it should start with the positive, then discuss where improvements can be made. It should also be constructive rather than negative and it should be given as soon as possible.
- Keep it positive – People respond best to positive interactions and positive reinforcement. Therefore, a great safety leader always keeps their interactions positive, professional, and respectful.
4. Demonstrate credibility
When it comes to effective safety leadership, you’ll be hard-pressed to lead a team successfully if you have no credibility in their eyes. At the end of the day, people need to have respect for their leaders and know that they have integrity. When it comes to exhibiting safe behaviors and leadership in the workplace, this is even more critical. Safety leaders must:
- Walk the talk – If you want people to wear their PPE on the shop floor – guess what? You’d better be wearing it, too! Good safety leaders must always role model safe behavior in the workplace and adhere to organizational safety policies and procedures.
- Everyone’s accountable, starting with the leader – Supervisors must feel a personal sense of accountability for the safety of their people. While everyone is accountable when it comes to staying safe at work, it must start with the leader.
- Be organized – In order to lead safety initiatives with credibility, leaders must be organized and plan ahead. Safety leads should always know what’s going on as it builds trust and credibility.
Embracing the L.E.A.D. model for effective safety leadership
Adopting the L.E.A.D. model is a transformative step for any organization committed to fostering a culture of safety leadership. By embodying the four core behaviors discussed above, leaders can effectively model leadership behavior and navigate complex safety challenges. These behaviors of a leader not only set a high standard but also inspire others to follow suit.
However, these types of behaviors do not come easily to all leaders. Their personality traits, leadership style, and experiences dramatically influence their ability to model leadership behaviors effectively. By learning about one’s SafetyDNA® profile through validated psychological assessments and personalized coaching, any leader can gain insight into their tendencies and blind spots. And as we have seen time and time again, once the core behaviors of a leader – as outlined in the L.E.A.D. Model – are understood and applied, they can immediately begin using safety leadership to help build and develop a safer workplace.
