The document discusses great leadership behaviors for achieving and sustaining health and safety performance. Great leaders go beyond simply leading through empowering others with information, acting consistently with their words, and demonstrating care for people's well-being. They ensure honest and caring cultures, provide clear direction while empowering others, stay positive through adversity, and recognize that leaders exist at all levels. Great leaders also make zero injury their goal, learn from lessons to achieve organizational wisdom, and understand that trusting relationships will enhance safety performance through open communication and resilience.

1. From Rhetoric to Great
Leadership in Safety
A Presentation to ‘Safety in Action 2013 - Sydney Safety
Conference’, September 3 2013
by
Nola A. Hennessy, Founding Managing Director & CEO
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

2. From Rhetoric to Great
Leadership in Safety
What we will explore today:
• Great Leadership behaviors and attitudes - to achieve and sustain
health and safety peak performance and influence the tempo of
growth
• What really works and doesn’t work when moving from managing to
leading
• The power of your workforce to make or break health and safety
performance
• Caring and trust – the critical part they play in the bigger picture
© 2012 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

3. Leaders or Great Leaders?
“Having leadership ability is all about
giving quality guidance, direction,
support and advice. Leaders have the
innate ability to inspire others without
even knowing they are doing
it……………..Leaders are all around us,
quietly getting on with achieving,
without fuss and bother, without loud
acclamations.” (Ref: No Boxing Allowed)
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

4. Great Leadership is, however, a
strong and selfless step beyond
simply leading. The behaviors and
attitudes are distinctive and set you
apart.
Great Leaders must maintain an
ongoing commitment to people and
‘living’ integrity in everything they do,
at work and at home.
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

5. Great Leadership Behaviors and
Attitudes include:
• Empowering others with relevant information…..
• Doing as they say they you will do
• Never just promising, they act…….
• Being consistent and responsive
• Being open and communicative – no secrets
• Demonstrating by actions, not just words, that
people are the most important asset
• Demonstrating care for people’s health, safety
and wellbeing
• Actively listen, all the time…………….. (Ref)
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

6. continued:
• When leading organizations, have people
policies in place that reflect and ensure that an
honest, communicative, safe, caring and just
culture is the solid foundation for the
organization
• Provide clear direction……
• Empower others to have a say, to stand up for
any perceived injustice, to challenge and query
decisions made….
• Stay positive, through even the worst adversity
(Ref)
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

7. continued:
• Forgive
• Stay focused on long term outcomes for the
good of all…
• Never seek an outcome for themselves alone –
don’t adopt the ‘it’s all about me’ stance
• Say sorry when they realize they’ve done
something wrong
• Recognize that leaders exist at all levels in the
organization
(Ref)
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

8. Great Leaders must:
• Make clear that their health and safety
goal is zero injury tolerance.
• Make the right strategic choices that aim
to:
– Minimize competing goals
– Lessen organizational conflict
– Create a positive flow-on effect in the way the
organization manages safety day-to-day
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

9. Great Leaders must:
• Know what works…….and doesn’t e.g.
policies; words and tone in
communication; culture; true governance
or ‘personalities’
• Learn from lessons, and apply the
learnings to achieve organizational
wisdom and intelligence
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

10. The Power of Your People to
Make or Break Positive Change:
• Change is always a choice, and an opportunity
• Personal change is dependent on daily choices:
– demeanor, beliefs, values, actions, words
– self-motivation level
• Aside from major, necessary and swift change directed
from above without consultation, your people hold the
power to either block change or ‘go with the flow’
• Sustainable, positive change will be successful when
trust, empathy, openness and tolerance are actioned
consistently, every day
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

11. How will trust contribute to and
enhance health and safety
performance?
• No need for second guessing, doubting or assumptions
• Generates communication
• Makes better use of time
• Builds resilience and commitment
• Creates interdependence, and dependability
• Facilitates positive change
• Words will become actions
• Minimizes contradictions and ambiguity
• Becomes an effective risk management strategy
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd

12. Reference?
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd
10 International Awards
“Inspirational” USA 2011
“A wise guide…” USA 2011
“Spiritual” USA/UK 2012-13
www.serenidadconsulting.com

13. QUESTIONS ?
www.serenidadconsulting.com
© 2013 Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd