Christel Fouche

Effective SHEQ Leadership Qualities

  • December 11th, 2007

Who do you look up to? Who do you admire? Who stands out in your life as the person that made a difference? Why? This last question is the difference between a leader and the average Joe. People that fall in this category would include amongst others Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, etc..

Who do you look up to in the safety, health, environmental and quality field? How good is your SHEQ leadership within your organisation? Common facts about a leader in SHEQ include:

• Vision and trust:

– Employees fall for the safety leader and then the vision

– The safety leader gets the dream and then the employees – the employees get the safety leader and then the dream

– Employees do want to support people that they get along with

• Energy and momentum:

– Momentum is a leaders’ best friend

– Safety leaders always find a way to make things happen

– If you cannot make a fire, stay away from the kitchen

– With enough momentum, almost anything and any change is possible

• Sacrifice:

– A safety leader must sacrifice to get to the top

– Sacrificing is a continuous process and not a once-off occurrence

– When being a safety leader you do away with the right to think of or about yourself

– There is always a price to pay towards leadership?

• Invisible power:

– When the real leader talks – everybody listens

– To be in a position of power is like being a woman – if you must inform/say to people that you are a woman – you are not

– Compare the characteristics of positional safety leaders to that of the real leaders in safety

• Passion:

– Do you see yourself as passionate about SHEQ? If so compare your passion with that of a hobby or sport that you are really passionate about – there should not be a difference!

– Passion is addictive – it is contagious – in no time you will have a whole team, division or organization passionate about SHEQ.

– If you are not passionate about SHEQ – why would anybody else be?

Are you an effective SHEQ leader? Do you have an effective SHEQ leader in your organisation?

15 Responses to “Effective SHEQ Leadership Qualities”

  1. M Painter Says:
    August 18th, 2008 at 9:17 am

    Good day

    I wonder if you can help me. I.m looking for Skills of a SHEQ Manager. What courses he have to do and also in management.

    Thank you

    Mariet

  2. Johanna Shikangala Says:
    February 25th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Hey there,can you publish one example of an inspection form. i just want to see if the one we use in our company is useful.

    Thanks

  3. christel Says:
    February 26th, 2009 at 9:23 am

    Hallo
    Thank you for your enquiry. We have asuggested career-path dvelopment process in terms of training towards SHEQ managers/directors or SHEQ lead auditors & SHEQ facilitators. You are welcome to send your e-mail address to me and I will forward this information to you. We are passionate about making SHEQ professionals internationally aligned.
    Regards Christel

  4. mumbi clarence Says:
    March 16th, 2009 at 7:25 am

    I would like to be a SHEQ manager what should i do?

  5. frieda rieger Says:
    April 27th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    Dear Christel
    I am interested to develop my skills in the area of SHEQ Manager! My qualifications are National Diploma HRM BTECH HRM and I will complete my LLB this year. Please advise me how can I go about to enhance my skill to secure a SHEQ Managerial Position. Kind Regards Frieda Rieger

  6. NAHASHON KIOGORA Says:
    May 13th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

    Dear Christel,
    I read your articles often.Am an aspiring SHEQ manager from kenya.Advice me on the route to take to achieve this.My qualifications are;
    Bsc in Analytical chemistry
    Diploma in TQM.
    God bless you.

  7. christel Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 9:42 am

    Hi Nahashon
    Thank you for the positive feedback. I have answered you via your personal e-mail address. Regards. Christel

  8. Stephen Says:
    June 29th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

    How do I go about becoming a SHEQ practitioner.

  9. christel Says:
    June 30th, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Hi Stephen
    I have just spent the last three weeks finalizing 7 different career-paths within the SHEQ industry. I am forwarding this to your personal e-mail.
    Regards Christel.

  10. Margaret Says:
    October 1st, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    Hi Christel

    I work for this company, we work with hazardous chemical, biological agents and radio active material. Most of our equipment is old and the company has no funds to replace the old equipment. I feel I am faced with a bomb ready to explode.
    How do I safe guard myself because I feel that I will have to face the court should a serious incident happen. My career is only starting, i do not want ruin my career.

  11. Christel Fouche Says:
    October 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Margaret
    I know we do not like paperwork - but this is crucial for the situation you are in. I suggest you start with a good internal audit to determine the status of all equipment and your legal compliance status in these areas (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE PAPERWORK). Then you give this through (HAVE PROOF) to the next level of management. This you keep on doing until you get a response. If they do not respond, you have built up a paper trail and have done what the “reasonalbe” employee within your job could have done. If something then goes wrong the next level of management will be found guilty - BUT remember this all depends on the paper work you have completed and the accuracy thereof and the fact that you kept on bringing this to their attention in e-mail, meetings (must be minuted), etc.
    The second option is to contact the Dept of Labour and ask the inspector to come out and do a “surprise” inspection. They do this anonomously. However, the first option is the best as a first step.
    Good luck Christel

  12. Jacky Says:
    November 16th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    hi Christel
    I’m working at a sawmill where we have a lot of safety systems in place. I’m very passionate about my work, but lately i’m so demotivated bcos of all the injuries. my DIFR is4.9 and i dont know how or what to do to get that down again. most of these injuries are bcos of negligence. the type of supervisors i have in our seven departments is just not into the safety thing. i think that safety awareness is very important, but how do i get my supervisors (production sups) interested in safety so that they can also make their workers aware? please help me bcos i know that i can bring our sawmill’s DIFR to 1, but at this moment i’m just so negative and dont really know where to start.

    I will appreciate you advise.

    Thank you

  13. Christel Fouche Says:
    November 17th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    Hi Jacky
    I am so sorry to hear about this. Have you had legal liability session with management including the supervisors? I find when they know what their civil, criminal, strict and viacrious liability entials they wake up. Regards Christel.

  14. Elty Hinrichsen Says:
    December 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am

    Hi Cristel.I need help please.Im currently a truck driver and NEED a career change.Im interrested on how to become a she rep,where and how do i start?.I want to enter the mining sector.Im 33 years of age and want to know if i can still do this?

    your advice will be grately appreciated.

    Elty

  15. Christel Fouche Says:
    December 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 am

    Hi Elty
    It is never too late to make a career change especially if you are passionate and committed towards this change. I am sending you the career-path development process. Good luck and keep me informed of your progress, please. Regards Christel.

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