Tough-Caring Leadership
Leaders who are tough-caring focus on safety because they genuinely care about their employees' well-being. This approach is like the more familiar "servant-leader" model in which leaders serve those they lead.
The tough-caring leadership model is a major shift in leadership and management thinking from the tough-controlling model. Instead of focusing on controlling employees to maintain compliance, tough-caring leaders focus on supporting employees to achieve excellence.
How supervisors and managers demonstrate a tough-caring leadership style:
- They understand that legal compliance, controlling losses, and improving production are guaranteed when employees are motivated, safe, and able.
- They understand that they can fulfill their commitment to external customers by fulfilling their obligations to employees.
- Communication is "all-way". it is multidirectional: bottom-up as well as top-down.
- Information is shared to ensure everyone's success.
- All supervisors and managers are responsible for safety. The safety manager is considered a consultant, not a cop.
- A high level of safety involvement, ownership, mutual respect, and trust exists between labor and management.
Supervisors and managers demonstrate tough-caring leadership in many ways.
What they say:
- "If you comply with safety rules, report injuries, and hazards, I will personally recognize you."
- "If you get involved in the safety committee, you will be more promotable."
- "If you suggest and help make improvements, I will personally recognize and reward you."
What they do:
- Supervisors regularly recognize and reward employees who demonstrate safety excellence.
- Managers actively participate in safety committee operations, inspections, and investigations.
- Top executives commit the necessary funding for safety training, PPE, and other equipment.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-6. In the tough-caring leadership model, communication is _____.
You forgot to answer the question!