Rail Professional Magazine Article (September 2026): What makes a great safety leader?
What do the best safety leaders do differently? And what are some of the behaviours that help create a strong safety culture, supporting better safety performance?
In a recent article for Rail Professional magazine, Dr Stephen Fletcher, joint CEO at The Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC), explores eight characteristics of effective safety leaders, bringing together the behaviours and attributes that can make a real difference in safety-critical organisations.
From authenticity and prioritising safety to creating psychological safety, demonstrating servant leadership and having the courage to challenge decisions, the eight pillars provide a practical framework for understanding what good safety leadership can look like.
Drawing on decades of experience working with rail and other safety-critical organisations, Dr Fletcher also explores the importance of listening to frontline employees, acting on feedback and embedding continuous improvement into everyday practice as part of the eight pillars.
“Excellent safety leaders don’t treat safety as something separate from the business. They embed it in how the organisation thinks, decides and acts every day.”
Dr Stephen Fletcher, Joint CEO at the OPC
With GB rail undergoing significant change, the article offers a timely opportunity for leaders and managers to reflect on their own approach to safety leadership, recognise these behaviours in others and consider where they could make a difference.
Read the full article from Rail Professional to find out what sets the most effective safety leaders apart.
Want to strengthen safety leadership or safety culture in your organisation? The OPC provides specialist psychological consultancy and support to help organisations develop safer, stronger-performing teams.
Get in touch with the friendly OPC team to find out more.