ABSTRACT
When people are asked to define safety, they tend to use the phrase ‘reduction of harm to a level that is acceptable’ or something similar. Safety as a control problem means that, to achieve safety, a leader must always remain behind the driver’s wheel. That way, when conditions get slippery, or something unexpected happens, we stand the best chance of avoiding disaster. In the LEAD model, Energise and Adapt create control over safety-critical processes through leadership styles that encourage ownership, autonomy, growth, reflection, and learning. Fair and just accountability reinforces safety expectations and ensures that duties and obligations are embedded and made prominent for workers, again reinforcing their prevention orientation. Using different methods of control to influence work and safety performance results in the development of internalised or ‘want to’ motivation — people start adopting our goals as their own and self-starting their work activities without people being around.
