Key Leadership Competencies of Safety Leaders

You might know the adage, "Ask 20 people and you will get more than 100 opinions." So, how can you possibly determine the key leadership competencies of safety leaders? Perhaps you know that researchers in organizational development and psychology describe two types of research: 1) qualitative results (interviews, case studies, observations); and 2) quantitative results (surveys, questionnaires, assessments). So I did both for this article.

Let's start with some definitions, move to qualitative results, then discuss quantitative results. Then try applying these results to yourself and your team. Use a simple score card, or write notes in the margins.

Definitions

Leadership can be defined in one word such as influence (read John Maxwell) or impact (read Doug Gray). I also like the definition from Marcus Buckingham, who studied more than 250,000 leaders and managers over 10 years. He defines leadership as "rallying others behind a vision of a better future. The core skills are public and optimism." Think of yourself when you lead a safety talk or a toolbox session. You are in front of others, publicly sharing an optimistic vision.

Competencies are the skills that define success. They are usually described in categories, such as recommended or required. Think of your job description or what you list on the top of your resume. Those core skills are likely your competencies.

So, how do you define key leadership competencies of safety leaders?

Qualitative Results

I surveyed more than 20 safety leaders and talked with the six contributors listed in the acknowledgments. They defined the following key leadership competencies. How do you score on each area (1 is low; 5 is high)?

1) Be a great communicator, not an average communicator, and certainly not a poor communicator. Listen well. Speak well. Be able to connect with an audience, then motivate that audience. Be able to train others. Your score:

2) Be smart. Know industry standards. Know where to find the answers. One leader may need skills in case management or workers' compensation while another may need skills in risk management and compliance. Groups such as ASSE, National Safety Council, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, Construction Industry Institute and Construction Users Roundtable are good places to start. Your score:

3) Be a good problem solver. Actively seek data, ask great open-ended questions, listen openly and develop multiple solutions. Then share your recommendations factually, without emotion or judgment, without any modifiers, such as adverbs or adjectives. Your score:

4) Demonstrate strong analytical skills. Interpret data, then share it in a meaningful way. Accept multiple points of view, including conflicting perspectives. Connect the dots. Stay focused on the big picture requirements to save money and minimize risk. Your score:

5) Be committed to professional development, not merely as a job requirement for CEUs. Read professional journals such as Professional Safety. Be active in industry-specific associations. Discuss ideas openly. Seek mentors and coaches. Be flexible and coachable. Your score:

Total your scores. How did you fare in each area?

A veteran safety leader shared this story: "There are too many sloppy definitions of safety leadership. For instance, you may believe that safety is everyone's responsibility. That reminds me of my old family dog, Rufus. If everyone thought that it was their responsibility to feed Rufus, then we had a problem. The dog could get fat. Or the dog could get hungry. We have the same problem with safety leaders. We need to feed ourselves first. We need to assume personal responsibility for safety, then our professional responsibility, then our societal responsibility."

Quantitative Results

I started this process with an online literature review. I recommend that you review works by Scott Geller, Takis Mitropoulos or Bill Mahoney. Then conduct a survey.

I conducted a survey in 2012 and 2013 to identify trends among energy leaders. The findings for the most relevant question in my survey are shown in the sidebar below. How do you interpret these results?

Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) provides benchmark surveys of leadership competencies. It uses 155 behavioral descriptors to distill key competencies in a business sector. For example, in a study on the needs of energy sector leaders, CCL defined these top 16 competencies:

*resourcefulness;

*doing whatever it takes;

*being a quick study;

*decisiveness;

*leading employees;

*confronting problem employees;

*participative management;

*change management;

*building relationships;

*compassion and sensitivity;

*straightforwardness and composure;

*balance between work and personal life;

*self-awareness;

*putting people at ease;

*recognizing differences;

*career management.

CCL has also identified five characteristics that are career limiting:

*problems with interpersonal relationships;

*difficulty building and leading a team;

*difficulty changing or adapting;

*failure to meet business objectives;

*too-narrow functional orientation.

So, how do you interpret these qualitative and quantitative results? How do you help your career or your team?

Step 1 is awareness. Now you are more aware of the top competencies of safety leaders. And, you know how you score against those competencies. Step 2 is constructive action. Step 3 is individual and organizational accountability. Seek out an external partner to help you develop your leadership competencies.

Have you ever noticed the 10:1 ratio in any library or bookstore on the number of books on leadership versus the number of books on being a manager? We aspire to be leaders. We do not aspire to be managers; however most job descriptions include the word manager. Humans are an aspirational species. Thankfully, we aspire to have an impact.

"We need to assume personal responsibility for safety, then our professional responsibility, then our societal responsibility."

What are the top three behavioral competencies of the best leaders at your company?

*great communicator (22%)

*results oriented (18%)

*creates trust (17%)

*expects to increase profitability (12%)

*shares an optimistic vision (11 %)

*publicly recognizes the strengths of others (10%)

*maximizes the productivity of others (7%)

*humble enough to attribute success to the team (7%)

Acknowledgments

Thanks to contributions from Tom Dahl, Bob Brooks, Jim Slatur, Steve Deis, Keith Moss and Michael Jeffrey.

Doug Gray, PCC, is the founder of www.Action-Learning.com and www.Safety Coach.co. He can help you and yourteam be smarter leaders. Checkoutthe new customized app. He can be reached at (704) 895-6479.