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You don't need to be superman!

By David Sarkus MS, CSP
May 30, 2013

ISHN Guest BlogYou don't have to be Superman to be a great safety leader. But let's face it, some leaders bring out the best in people and others bring out the very worst. We need to make choices every day regarding the kind of leader we are going to be, especially for those who are following. 

On our worst days, we bring about anxiety, fear, and a loss of focus. Sometimes we are unapproachable, confrontational, and don't care to listen to the concerns of others.  At times, we can be detached and withdrawn. Not the kind of leader others want to be around or follow.

At our best, we bring out more energy and excitement in our people.  We are approachable, and want to be engaged in the safety-related efforts of others.  We want to facilitate, coach, listen, and support the work of our people. This is the kind of leader that attracts and influences others to be their very best and to reach new levels of safety engagement and performance. This is the type of leader who turns followers into the very kinds of leaders that we want to be - a reflection of our best qualities and characteristics.

The very best organizations invest in their people to make them better safety leaders so they can bring out the best in others.    

What kinds of safety leadership opportunities are you helping to create for others?

Are you helping individuals to become better listeners?

Are you helping to develop the coaching skills of your workers?

Do you provide opportunities to learn various psychological strategies and tactics?

Well, I would love to hear from you and help you make your leaders better safety leaders. We don't need to be Superman, but we need to have the desire to be better safety leaders and we need the tools to make our cultures for safety the kinds of cultures we can be proud to talk about.

KEYWORDS: safety leadership

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David J. Sarkus, MS, CSP, is the president and founder of David Sarkus International Inc.
David is a speaker, author, consultant, and leadership coach with over 30 years of experience. His efforts focus mainly on leadership, engagement, and cultural assessments, which aim to improve sustainable EHS excellence. Visit https://davidsarkus.com/

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