The 2024 VelocityEHS Accelerate User Conference took place in May and focused on four tracks:
- Safety
- Sustainability
- Resilience
- Strategic Gamechangers
Attendees were able to customize the sessions they attended based on the tracks that resonated with them to get the most out of the conference. During a Safety Track session, there was a Q&A where safety experts discussed common pitfalls and lessons learned, sharing valuable insights on behaviors of exceptional leaders. The panel focused on the power of omission and the strategic decisions and habits that build the foundation for a strong safety culture.
One of the experts on the panel was Daniel Sakrisson, Senior VP & Advisor with valued Velocity partner WSP. Daniel began his career as an EHS field consultant focusing on field safety, environmental sampling, auditing, and regulatory data collection. His role grew into advising on automating data collection within software systems and digital transformations. He currently leads WSP in its global service line that implements EHS & ESG software, overseeing hundreds of projects in multiple industries worldwide. His expertise has helped numerous customers meet regulatory requirements and enhance their operations.
Here are his expert insights to the questions asked:
1. What traits differentiate a manager from a leader?
“In my experience, a manager is someone who pushes people and a leader is someone who pulls people. As a leader, it’s our job to encourage folks to go out on their own while listening to them and their teams to foster growth. We are servants to our teams, and leaders are the ones who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help instead of telling their teams what to do.”
2. What are some common features or characteristics that great leaders leverage to ensure the strategy and tactics aren’t doomed to fail?
“Talking to your team, great leaders know there are people on their team much smarter than them, so talk to them, and get their input. Ask them where they think you should start; you’ll get great ideas from the collaboration. Great leaders know that the best ideas come from collaboration. Also, loosen up a little, there’s a TED Talk that touches on how appropriate joking in the workplace improves morale and increases productivity and collaboration.”
3. What are behavior and actions that are culture killers?
“Favoritism, different rules for different people is a huge culture killer. This creates a situation where people don’t know what the boundaries are in different scenarios. Then they have no trust in how they will be treated, and there ends up being no standard for the team in general. Not being transparent with goals is another culture killer. A great leader motivates, not punishes.”
4. How do exceptional leaders navigate the delicate balance between stepping-in vs. letting the process run its course?
“It’s important to try and foster an environment where creativity and experimentation are encouraged, allowing for calculated risk-taking to drive progress and innovation. You should assess the organization’s risk tolerance and make decisions, accordingly, balancing the potential benefits of action with the associated risks. Exceptional leaders recognize that each situation is unique and tailor their approach accordingly, taking into account, factors such as urgency, complexity, and potential impact. Make sure you prioritize open communication and collaboration among team members, ensuring that decisions are well-informed and aligned with organizational goals. Ensure that decisions are based on thorough analysis and consideration of available information, avoiding impulsive actions or undue haste.”
5. Do great leaders let people fail?
“There’s so much that can be learned from failure because it really teaches you to not make the same mistake twice, but what it really comes down to is risk assessment. If there is a really big or important initiative, you’ll want to make sure you communicate the expectations up front. You’ll want to make sure you lay out the checks and balances and who all is involved to help them succeed and not have to face failure. But if it’s more of an exploratory project, then sure, let them go out and possibly fail you can learn from what doesn’t work.”
The Velocity Accelerate User Conference provided a comprehensive platform for professionals to explore crucial aspects of workplace management. This panel discussion examined the critical elements of effective leadership in safety management, emphasizing the importance of fostering a strong safety culture through strategic decision-making and leadership behaviors.
These insights provide valuable guidance for current and aspiring leaders in the EHS field, highlighting the complex relationship between leadership style, organizational culture, and effective safety management. Don’t miss out on learning more about safety management through experts’ lens. The Velocity events team offers a variety of sessions throughout the year on top EHS & ESG topics check out the events calendar and webinar schedule to see what’s happening.
As Always: VelocityEHS and WSP are Here to Help!
Velocity Safety management software helps you streamline your EHS program. You’ll have access to award-winning capabilities such as incident management, SDS management, audits, compliance management, inspections and more. Get the comprehensive support you’re looking for to reach your safety goals.
WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services and consulting firms, bringing together talented people from around the globe. Their 68,000 trusted professionals are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities they serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. WSP consists of technical experts who design and provide strategic advice on sustainable solutions that will help societies grow for lifetimes to come.
The VelocityEHS partnership with WSP brings together Velocity’s industry-leading enterprise EHS & ESG software solutions, with one of the industry’s biggest advisory and software implementation consultancies. This collaboration gives you easy access to best-in-class, expert-backed software along with implementation support, EHS & ESG consulting services, and digital solutions wherever you operate—contact us today!