Author:brian-darlington

Who sits on which chair? 1st September 2025 As part of a benchmarking exercise with other companies, I was invited to participate in a site visit to a large beverage bottling company on the African continent. Little did I realise at the time that a small observation would cause me to reflect whilst on my flight home and consequently write this article.  After a session of information sharing amongst the participants, we were equipped with personal protective clothing and entered […]

How leadership shapes organisational culture 13th May 2025 As we all know, one cannot measure culture, nor can one manage it – one can only feel and influence cultures and subcultures. In this article, I reflect on two entirely different subcultures that I experienced within 10 days of each other: one at a production site in Mexico and the second on a plane between Austria and Crete. Both subcultures were shaped by the leaders of their respective teams. I have visited […]

Enola Gay and her atomic bomb 24th March 2025 A journey to Tinian Island sparks reflection on humanity’s failure to learn from history, connecting the devastating impact of war with today’s workplace safety challenges. During the last three weeks of December 2024, I went scuba diving in the Mariana Islands of Saipan and Tinian, exploring ship and plane wrecks from World War II. During my two visits to Saipan in 2024, I had noticed an island just a couple of […]

Be social 21st February 2025 Reflecting on 2024, our columnist highlights the importance of making time for others – especially as leaders – and giving them the opportunity to share their stories. Throughout 2024, I was privileged and fortunate enough to visit numerous countries across the world for both business and pleasure. During this time, I met many interesting people, mingled with many different nationalities, and experienced so many cultures. During my travels, not only did I engage with many […]

Departing from the Zero Harm delusion 8th November 2024 In a chance encounter, our columnist engages in a thought-provoking discussion about the myths and challenges surrounding the “Zero Harm” mantra in the risk and safety industry. Early in September, I was standing on a bus waiting to travel from the Venice Airport terminal to my flight back home to Vienna, after spending a couple of days working at one of our paper mills. I was in my own world, reflecting […]

Unexpected insights around the fire 14th October 2024 In the heart of Canberra, an unexpected encounter with an Aboriginal woman becomes a profound lesson in culture, time, and human connection, challenging commonly-held perceptions of leadership and safety. Unfortunately, I had been involved in an investigation into a serious incident and arrived back home after a 10-hour flight. I unpacked my bags, repacked them with clean clothes, spent two hours at home, and then boarded a flight from Austria to Australia […]

Is offensive behaviour becoming acceptable? 26th August 2024 Social interactions shape our behaviour, often revealing surprising lapses in civility. Our columnist examines how offensive conduct emerges in various settings and its implications for workplace dynamics. In Social Psychology of Risk, several key fundamentals control our thoughts, both consciously and unconsciously, shaping who we are and how we function in a social environment. The first of these is the balance between physical, psychological, and cultural elements. The second is how we […]

Are we living in Chronos or Kairos time? 26th June 2024 Following a visit to Slovenia’s Skocjan Caves, our columnist reflects on two different types of time and highlights why we should all live in the one as often as we can. After a recent visit to one of our operations in Italy, focusing on a large rebuild project, I decided to spend two days in the coastal city of Trieste, finding some time to relax and visiting various historical […]

Can we control culture? 15th April 2024 Our columnist explains how he deals with diverse cultures across various countries and why company cultures and sub-cultures cannot be managed, controlled or measured; they can merely be felt and influenced. A substantial part of my time is spent travelling to various countries across the globe, visiting our operations, meeting with management teams, spending time on the shopfloor in discussion with employees and contractors, or conducting training in Social Psychology of Risk. As […]

Set your agenda aside 30th January 2024 Often leaders and others employed in the risk and safety field believe they need to do the talking, tell others what to do, control and guide the discussions, and have all the answers. This should not be the case. Leaders should at times learn to suspend their agenda and listen to others tell their story. One would be amazed at what can be heard and learnt from others. In one of my previous […]