Author:brian-darlington

Penalty shootout for poor leadership  19th August 2026 When the FIFA World Cup kicked off in a Polish hotel bar, red cards, banter and borrowed jerseys got our columnist thinking about something far from the pitch: who really captains safety culture on the shop floor? Many of my articles either focus on senior leaders or people employed in the risk and safety field. This time I have decided to focus my piece on first-line leaders within organisations, who I consider […]

Stop ticking boxes and do things that make a difference 25th June 2026 While relaxing, finding balance and recharging our batteries on holiday, we were keen to do as much scuba diving as possible. One of our main objectives was to search for sharks. This article, however, is not about marine life, but rather about the importance of practical, value-adding tools in the pursuit of a safe and healthy working environment. Straight after breakfast on the second morning of our […]

Finding balance before burning out 24th April 2026 Nineteen dreams in 25 minutes was the wake-up call our columnist needed. From cancelled flights to Maldivian reefs, this is a candid reflection on burnout, work-life balance and why leaders must model the boundaries they ask their teams to keep. In February, after three flights were cancelled due to unexpected weather conditions in Austria, I embarked on a nine-hour train journey from Cologne to Vienna. On this trip, I noticed I would […]

Tackling the traffic in Cairo 22nd January 2026 On a recent business trip to Cairo, our columnist discovered that when risk perception decreases, risk tolerance increases – a reality vividly illustrated by the city’s chaotic traffic and workplace safety challenges. I have travelled to Egypt on numerous occasions over the past 20 years, be it for scuba diving holidays or business reasons. With each visit, the risk perception or risk tolerance of drivers, passengers and pedestrians never fails to surprise […]

Turbulence and tantrums 19th November 2025 What does a diverted flight have to do with workplace safety? Everything. How leaders respond when things go wrong reveals whether they’ll build resilient teams or toxic cultures. The announcement at the boarding gate went something like: “Attention all passengers, we regret to inform you that due to the late arrival of the incoming flight, the flight to Munich is delayed by 25 minutes. Thank you for your understanding. We apologise for any inconvenience […]

Watch my back! 30th September 2025 At 30cm apart, flying at near-supersonic speeds, Thunderbird pilots trust each other with their lives. What if your workplace had that same level of “blind trust”? After recently watching a documentary on the Thunderbirds – the US Air Force air demonstration squadron – I used it as an example during leadership training that I was conducting in South Africa. After the training, I reflected on the visit while flying back to Europe, as usual. […]

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 […]