Leading and Learning Through Safety

Dr. Mark A French
  • 5.0 (5)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Do you want to engage your culture? Safety is the first step to creating the motivation needed for people to perform their best. Each day, we have the chance to lead our teams and learn more about our people through an understanding of our safety climate. Through looking at current issues in HSE, we chat about creating cultural value through safety. Your host is Dr. Mark French, CSP, SPHR aka The Safety Dude.

  1. FEB 6

    Episode 200: Storytelling

    This episode explores storytelling as a powerful driver of safety, learning, and meaning at work. Drawing on academic research and real-world examples, the discussion explains how personal stories—especially near-misses and close calls—can overcome the “it won’t happen to me” mindset that undermines risk awareness. Key themes include: The difference between storytelling for entertainment vs. storytelling for impact (poignancy)Why timing, setting, and psychological safety matter when sharing experiencesHow vulnerability and empathy make safety messages memorable and meaningfulThe leadership role in being present, listening, and inviting stories—without forcing themWhy safety culture is built less through checklists and more through human connectionThe episode ultimately reframes safety storytelling as a leadership skill: when done thoughtfully, stories don’t just inform—they change behavior, strengthen trust, and create lasting meaning.

    20 min

  2. JAN 16

    Episode 199: Re-humanizing the Organization

    In the first episode of Leading & Learning Through Safety for 2026, Dr. Mark French explores a challenging but critical topic: organizational dehumanization and its direct impact on leadership, safety, and human dignity at work. Drawing from a December 2025 Journal of Applied Psychology article titled “Seeing the Good in the Bad: A Self-Affirmation Model for Organizational Dehumanization,” the episode examines whether any redeeming outcomes can exist in workplaces that treat people as numbers rather than humans. Dehumanization often shows up subtly—viewing employees as spreadsheet entries, productivity metrics, or cost centers instead of people with autonomy, competence, and emotional needs. Dr. French argues that this mindset is fundamentally incompatible with safety. When people are dehumanized, organizations lose autonomous thinkers, silence risk-spotters, and erode the trust required to protect one another. Interestingly, the research suggests that while dehumanization is never appropriate or acceptable, some individuals respond by seeking meaning elsewhere—through volunteering, social connection, or prosocial behavior outside of work. This “rebound effect” is not a justification for poor leadership, but a testament to human resilience and self-affirmation. The episode also explores an important nuance: not all language that removes “human” framing is harmful. Being called “a machine” for exceptional performance may feel motivating in context—but systemic dehumanization that strips dignity is something entirely different. Dr. French closes with a call to action: safety begins with re-humanization. Leaders must recognize the signs of dehumanization and intentionally restore autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Because when we value people as people, safety becomes possible—and sustainable.

    20 min

  3. 12/12/2025

    Episode 198: Communication

    In this end-of-year episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French reflects on seasonal safety challenges and why December consistently brings unique risks to the workplace. While safe driving remains a recurring concern due to holiday scheduling, distracted motorists, and increased roadside work, Mark places special emphasis on a rising and more troubling trend: workplace violence.  This time of year heightens personal stressors—family pressures, financial strain, holiday demands—and those stressors inevitably enter the workplace. Mark discusses how normal disagreements can escalate into severe incidents when tensions are already high, highlighting several recent news cases as reminders of the urgency. He notes that although organizations cannot control every factor, leaders can influence how prepared, present, and responsive they are.  Mark outlines practical steps to reduce risk: improving communication channels, increasing leadership presence, recognizing early signs of distress or conflict, and ensuring employees know where to report concerns. He emphasizes that mental health resources and Employee Assistance Programs must be accessible without stigma and that organizations should test their reporting systems to ensure issues aren’t lost or ignored.  As the year closes, Mark challenges leaders to enter 2026 committed to strengthening communication, cultivating psychological safety, and supporting the whole person—physically, mentally, and socially. He closes with gratitude for listeners and a reminder that effective communication is foundational to preventing harm and fostering a strong, human-centered safety culture.

    20 min

  4. 11/21/2025

    Episode 197: Unwinding from Work

    In this episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French explores the psychological importance of the home-to-work transition (HWT) — the intentional process of mentally and physically unwinding after a workday. Drawing from a recent article in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Mark examines how continuous activation of stress systems throughout the workday requires a deliberate unwinding process to maintain long-term wellbeing. Mark reflects on his career as a frontline safety professional, often serving as the lone point of responsibility for a 24/7 operation. He highlights the reality many safety leaders face: constant availability, middle-of-the-night calls, and difficulty fully disengaging. He discusses how organizational structures often reinforce this imbalance and argues that leaders must implement clear escalation policies, flow-based decision tools, and supervisor accountability to protect both safety teams and operational continuity. The episode also explores the research surrounding cognitive, emotional, and physiological recovery — including how poor transition habits can impact rest, alcohol use, and tobacco consumption. Mark emphasizes that unwinding must be intentional, not accidental. Whether through exercise, gaming, nature walks, meditation, or small rituals like grounding at a favorite tree, each person must find their own meaningful method of decompressing.  Ultimately, the episode is a reminder that leaders cannot pour into others if they are continually depleted. To lead effectively — and safely — we must prioritize our own recovery so we can show up fully for the people who depend on us.

    20 min

  5. 11/14/2025

    Episode 196: Cultural Building Blocks Part 2

    In this episode of the Leading & Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French continues his exploration of how organizational culture is built through both action and inaction. Drawing from research published in the Consulting Psychology Journal (APA, Sept. 2025), he highlights that while values are abstract, culture becomes real through observable practices—what people actually do every day. Mark explains that every organization operates within three behavioral zones: actions that align with values, actions that work against them, and inaction, where leaders or teams choose to do nothing at all. He connects this framework to safety leadership, showing how emotional intelligence is cultivated not through lofty ideals, but through small, consistent behaviors—like making safety the easiest and most natural choice. Using his own story about misplaced PPE and the challenge of convenience, Mark illustrates how organizations must remove friction from doing the right thing. The easier it is to act safely and ethically, the more those abstract values become tangible culture. Ultimately, emotionally intelligent organizations are built one decision at a time—rewarding the right actions, correcting the wrong ones, and never ignoring opportunities to reinforce what truly matters.

    20 min

  6. 11/07/2025

    Episode 195: Cultural Building Blocks Part 1

    In this episode of Leading & Learning Through Safety, Dr. Mark French dives deep into one of his favorite topics—organizational culture—and how emotional intelligence shapes the environment where people truly thrive. Drawing from research published in the Consulting Psychology Journal, Mark explores the concept of an EI-supportive organizational culture and unpacks what it really means to live out corporate values instead of merely displaying them on paper. Through his signature “garden analogy,” Mark illustrates how culture, like a plant, flourishes only when the environment provides nourishment, care, and room to grow. He breaks down the research that defines culture as both abstract values and observable practices, challenging leaders to ensure their teams experience those values in action—not just in orientation binders. Mark also examines how real behaviors—what gets rewarded, promoted, or tolerated—ultimately become the building blocks of culture. He connects this to safety and HR, emphasizing that professionals in these fields often lead through influence, not authority. Their courage to challenge leadership and uphold values defines whether an organization practices damage control or genuine continuous improvement. This episode is a thoughtful reminder that culture doesn’t happen by accident—it’s created every day by what leaders choose to value, model, and reinforce.

    21 min

  7. 10/31/2025

    Episode 194: A Tale for Training

    In this episode of the Leading and Learning Through Safety Podcast, Dr. Mark French takes a deep and heartfelt look at lone worker safety—a topic that tragically resurfaces too often in today’s workplaces. Inspired by a recent real-world incident where a lone distribution worker lost their life after a stack of boxes collapsed, Mark explores how training, resource constraints, and unrealistic productivity metrics can intersect to create deadly conditions. He reflects on the delicate balance between efficiency and safety—how metrics like trailer “cube-out” levels, while intended to drive performance, can quickly become dangerous when used as mandates instead of learning tools. Mark underscores the importance of true training, not just box-checking exercises, and the need for proper knowledge transfer from experienced mentors to new team members. The conversation moves beyond compliance to culture—how leadership decisions, investment in learning, and the design of work itself shape the safety and empowerment of every employee. Dr. French challenges organizations to rethink how they measure risk for lone workers and to ensure safeguards, oversight, and meaningful training are in place before tragedy strikes. The episode closes with a powerful reminder: Safety isn’t about what’s most convenient—it’s about what’s most human.

    20 min

  8. 10/03/2025

    Episode 193: Inspect What You Expect

    In this episode of Leading and Learning Through Safety, Dr. Mark French explores the timeless leadership principle of “inspect what you expect,” rooted in the lean concept of gemba—going to where the work is actually done. Safety and lean thinking should be natural partners, but too often leaders set expectations without validating them through presence and follow-up. Mark recounts observing a construction crew working without proper PPE, despite safety glasses being available. One worker wore them on the back of his head, another tossed new ones aside after seeing no one else using them. This real-world example underscored how expectations without inspection quickly dissolve into unsafe behaviors. He emphasizes that genuine safety performance is proactive, consistent, and reinforced by leadership presence. When leaders actively validate expectations—whether for safety, quality, or productivity—they create accountability and consistency, while modeling the behaviors they wish to see. Conversely, when leaders only appear during crises or productivity shortfalls, employees learn that safety isn’t truly prioritized. Mark also highlights the importance of peer influence and “leading up.” Younger leaders look to experienced peers, while supervisors may eventually shift when they see frontline consistency. The process may be slow, but leadership presence builds trust, reinforces values, and fosters long-term cultural improvement. Ultimately, leadership isn’t about words—it’s about being present, validating expectations, and showing people that safety and values come first. A leader’s presence on the floor is both the simplest and most powerful tool for sustainable performance.

    20 min
See All (203)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Do you want to engage your culture? Safety is the first step to creating the motivation needed for people to perform their best. Each day, we have the chance to lead our teams and learn more about our people through an understanding of our safety climate. Through looking at current issues in HSE, we chat about creating cultural value through safety. Your host is Dr. Mark French, CSP, SPHR aka The Safety Dude.

Information