Caterpillar Measures Safety Leadership Traits that Can Change Everything

Employees make choices every day that impact the safety of themselves and others. The most powerful influence on those choices is the leader, who must inspire safe behaviour in employees through their consistent actions. After five years of research, Caterpillar statistically validated exactly what those actions are and how to measure them. To be an effective safety leader requires mastery of four core domains: driving accountability, creating connectivity, demonstrating credible consciousness and building trust.

The most effective leaders create a strong culture of accountability in which they either hold their employees accountable for their work or they create an environment in which others take accountability for their work. They develop meaningful connectivity by involving employees in creating solutions, keeping them informed and integrating safety into daily work. They demonstrate credible safety consciousness by applying knowledge of the safety aspects of the job with sound and consistent reasoning. They build trust amongst their team, so their employees believe the leader has their best interest at heart, showing they care and holding safety as an important value.

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