www.asse.orgFEBRUARY2015ProfessionalSafety49EffectiveSafetyLeadershipUnderstandingTypes&StylesThatImproveSafetyPerformanceByDominicCooperSafetyleadership,definedas“theprocessofdefiningthede-siredstate,settinguptheteamtosucceed,andengaginginthediscretion-aryeffortsthatdrivethesafetyvalue”(Cooper,2010a)iswidelyrecognizedtobecritical(HSE,2001),especiallywhentheprevailingsafetycultureisweak(Martínez-Córcoles,Gracia,Ines,etal.,2011).Acompany’ssafetycultureisdrivenbytheexecutiveleadershipteamthatcreates,cultivatesandsustainsacompany’sjourneytoexcellence(HSE,2008).Theseexecutivessetthevisionandstrategicdirection,provideresourc-es,andconstantlyemphasizeandrein-forcetheimportanceofsafetytopeopleandthebusiness.Thus,ineffectivesafetyleadershiphin-derstheabilityofmanycompaniestoachievesuccess(Cooper&Finley,2013).Seekingtoprovidepracticalinsightsforsafetypractitioners,thisarticlehighlightsseveralcharacteristicsofeffectivesafetyleadershipthatresultinsafetycultureexcellence.Theseinsightscanbeputtogoodusebysafetypractitioners,opera-tionalmanagersandemployees.BenefitsofEffectiveSafetyLeadershipEffectivesafetyleadershipisknowntobefinanciallybeneficialtoacom-pany’sbottom-lineperformance(Veltri,Pagel,Behm,etal.,2007).Itpositivelyaffectsemployees’safetybehaviorandattitudes,helpsreduceinjuryratesandinsurancepremiums,andcontributestoincreasedproductivitybyeliminat-ingproductionbottlenecks.Operationalandsafetyexcellencegohand-in-hand.Companiesthataregoodatmanag-ingsafetyalsomanageoperationswell(Fernández-Muñiz,Montes-Peón&Vázquez-Ordás,2009).EffectiveSafetyLeadershipHasaPurposeTheworkingworldhastwotypesofleaders:positionalandinspirational.Positionallead-ersleadbyvirtueofthepowervestedintheirpositionofau-thority.Suchleadersoperatebytellingpeoplewhattheywantthemtodo.Thus,peoplefollowbecausetheyhaveto.Inspirationalleadersaregenuinelypassionateanden-thusiasticabouttheircause(Zenger,Folkman&Edinger,2009)and,asaresult,theyinspireothers.Inspirationalleaders(thosewhoarenotsolelyreliantonpositionalauthority)aredrivenbyapurpose,causeorbelief;theyleadbypassionatelyandpreciselycommunicatingwhyitisimportantforpeopletodothethingsthatleadersaskthemtodo(Avolio&Bass,2002).Byfo-cusingonthewhy,inspirationalleadersinspirepeopletodiscoverforthemselveswhatfeelsrightandwhatismostadvan-tageoustothem.Peoplefollowbecausetheywanttoforthemselves.Ofcourse,positionalleaderscanbeinspirationalINBRIEF•Safetyleadershipiswidelyrecognizedasacriticalelementofbusinesssuccess.Ineffectivesafetyleadershiphinderstheabil-ityofmanycompaniestoachievebusinessgoals.•Thisarticlehighlightsseveralcharacteristicsofeffectivesafetyleadershipthatresultinsafetycultureexcellence.DominicCooper,CFIOSH,CPsychol,isCEOofB-SafeManage-mentSolutionsinFranklin,IN.HeholdsaB.Sc.inPsychologyfromUniversityofEastLondon,anM.Sc.inIndustrialPsychologyfromtheUniversityofHullandaPh.D.inOccupational/OrganizationalPsychologyfromtheUniversityofManchester.HeisamemberofASSE’sCentralIndianaChapter.SafetyManagementPeer-Reviewed©istockphoto.com/BsWei50ProfessionalSafetyFEBRUARY2015www.asse.orgleadersiftheyalsopassionatelybelieveinwhattheyaredoing.Inspirationalleaderstrulybelieveinsafety,andthisisreflectedintheirbodylanguage,tone,wordsspokenandtheirdailyactions.Theyalsoclearlyar-ticulateavisionthatpaintsacompellingpictureofthefuturewhilesellingitsbenefits.For...
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