Recently, Dave Johnson asked a group of safety professionals for their opinions on senior leaders and their attitudes and actions regarding safety in the work environment. Admittedly, I have been away from safety for some time now. Still, I think it probably hasn’t changed much from the perspectives of safety professionals or senior leaders over the years. There are exceptions, but I surmise that safety in many organizations remains a silo function, frustrated by senior leaders who are unwilling to spend time or money on safety. 

Workers are motivated, leaders are pressured

First, safety professionals must self-examine their organizational roles and determine how they will present themselves to senior leaders and workers. The most tremendous success in presenting oneself is convincing leaders and workers to “own” their safety rather than imposing safety upon them. Workers typically do not come to work intending to get hurt, so they are generally motivated to work safely. Conversely, leaders hold a wide range of opinions about safety while facing constant business pressures, which can pose a significant challenge for safety professionals.

Safety professionals must identify their leaders’ leadership styles and adjust their interactions to tackle this challenge. Kurt Lewin’s leadership style experiments in 1938 and 1939 initiated a leadership industry that has generated a wealth of literature on leadership styles. However, the following four styles encompass most of these variations: Autocratic, Transactional, Transformational, and Laissez-faire.

Four leadership styles to recognize

Once the leadership style is established, the safety professional must decide how to persuade the leader to “own” safety. In addition to this “ownership,” the safety professional must determine the optimal time to introduce safety improvements to the leader, particularly those that incur costs.

For each leadership style, several traits can be observed and identified.

1. Autocratic Leadership 

• Makes the majority of decisions
• Expects strict compliance with rules and procedures.
• Infrequently solicits advice from others
• Discourages creativity
• Fosters low morale and resentment among workers.

2. Transactional Leadership

• Take charge as a leader, acting with a sense of urgency 
• As a clear, direct, and transparent communicator, the leader ensures that employees know exactly what he or she expects
• Employees are willing to follow their leader because they trust and are loyal to them
• Expects employees to undertake a task according to the leader’s approach and is opposed to change
• Focuses on short-term goals while neglecting long-term corporate objectives

3. Transformational Leadership

• Open to new perspectives on innovation and creativity
• Fosters empathy for employees to shift their mindsets in accepting new task completion methods
• Actively listens to employees' ideas without bias and trusts their judgment
• Willing to accept sensible and well-considered risks
• Encourages and rewards teamwork among employees for generating new ideas

4. Laissez-faire Leadership

• A hands-off approach to work that allows employees to make most, if not all, decisions
• Encourages employees to share input and welcomes feedback
• Confident that their employees understand their roles and possess the skills needed to perform them
• Comfortable with employees making mistakes as long as they learn from them
• Encourages employees with incentives

Once the leadership style is established, you should focus on how to engage with that style and when to approach the leader. It is reasonable to consult the leader's peers to gather insights into their styles. Take the time to get to know your leader(s) through open conversations that reveal the leader’s expectations of you and your expectations of him or her. Look for opportunities to have lunch or coffee with your leader to casually discuss your interests and his or her interests. The overall objective is to build trust between you and the leader.

How to work with different leadership styles

The following are some principles to remember when working for each leadership style.

Autocratic

When working for an autocratic leader, it is important to understand their goals and expected outcomes. Gain insight into the work environment from your leader’s perspective. Treat your leader like a customer by focusing on their goals and priorities and strive to add value that aligns with the company’s values. Consistently delivering value will make you indispensable to both the leader and the organization, ultimately supporting the safety initiatives you wish to pursue.

Insight: On a more personal note, working with an autocratic leader can be taxing and frustrating. You must manage your attitude and responses to the leader’s demands. Don't let your leader’s behaviors disrupt your focus on delivering valuable work. The key to success is managing yourself instead of trying to change your autocratic leader.

Transactional

As the name implies, transactional leaders primarily focus on actions defined by clear expectations, employee performance, and relevant outcomes. These outcomes arise from the tasks and metrics the leader values. It is essential for you to fully understand your leader’s performance standards and have a clear picture of what success means to him or her. Once these operational standards are comprehended, your work must meet or exceed them in terms of timing, quality, and results. Communication is crucial with transactional leaders. Keep your leader updated on progress and any barriers you anticipate or encounter so they can intervene if necessary. 

Insight: On a personal note, transactional leaders are often not good mentors; thus, your success within the organization relies on you. This means you must seek out opportunities to demonstrate your value and communicate your success according to the standards set by the transactional leader. Your value can be shown through improved efficiency, quality, safer operations, and achieving established metrics. The key to success lies in meeting the operational standards outlined by the transactional leader based on their rules of the game.

Transformational

Transformational leaders are steadfastly committed to achieving a clear and compelling vision, no matter the challenges or obstacles. They empower their employees to actively contribute to realizing this vision while stepping in when issues arise. As a safety professional, you must thoroughly understand the leader’s vision, how decisions will be made to achieve this vision, and how progress will be measured. The transformational leader has a solid grasp of the roles a safety professional can provide and will strategically align those safety roles to maximize effectiveness throughout the process of achieving the vision.

Insight: On a personal note, transformational leaders often act as effective mentors, encouraging their team members to excel in their contributions. They value the success of their team members just as much as they value achieving their vision, whether this vision involves a product, a service, or operational improvement. The key to success lies in developing a relationship with the leader in which he or she views you as a valuable team member they can count on to ensure work is accomplished safely and is not seen as an afterthought.

Laissez-faire

Laissez-faire leaders adopt a hands-off leadership style, offering minimal guidance and delegating significant decision-making authority to individuals. As a safety professional, you need to establish your own standards to deliver value and take initiative to make progress. Focus your initiative by objectively analyzing the work required to provide value and achieve the company’s goals. Like other leadership styles, communication is essential and should be framed in the context of the value created and aligned with the company’s goals.

Insight: On a personal note, working for a laissez-faire leader can be exhausting, especially if you expect to receive direction. Conversely, if you are a self-starter, this leadership style can be exhilarating. You can establish work standards, determine how tasks will be accomplished, and deliver value. The key to success lies in maintaining strong self-discipline alongside a desire to achieve.

Seven success factors for working with leaders

Throughout a safety professional’s career, you will encounter various leadership styles. The key factors for success include: 1) building and maintaining trust with both leadership and the workforce; 2) integrating safety into the workflow rather than treating it as a standalone activity; 3) avoiding the role of a compliance officer; 4) teaching workers to take ownership of their safety by actively participating in safety walkarounds; 5) recognizing and rewarding employees for their safety efforts and performance;  6) realizing leaders’ priorities have significantly shifted to short-term wins focused on quarterly reports and Key Performance Indicators that deliver their bonus; and 7) clearly understanding the business unit and plant site leadership team, and his or her direct report motivations and deliverables, and aligning your needs with the deliverables and objectives of the leadership team.