Welcome!

This week has been a particularly energising one here in New York. I’ve been reconnecting with brilliant individuals I’ve met at recent events, continuing the conversations that began in conference rooms and workshops, and learning even more from these follow-up moments. These chats, over coffee, in co-working spaces, and on calls, have sparked new ideas, highlighted different perspectives, and reminded me how important it is to keep listening. I’ve been taking notes, as always, to apply what I’ve learned into my day-to-day work.

On a more personal note, it was also my son’s birthday this past weekend. He was thrilled to receive a metal detector, and naturally, we headed down to Coney Island to test it out. Among a few bottle caps and coins, we stumbled across a police baton buried in the sand. Perhaps there's an analogy in there, what hidden tools or histories are lying just beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered? Whether in leadership or parenting, sometimes the most unexpected discoveries come when you're simply following curiosity.

Help Shape What Comes Next

For a while now, I’ve been thinking about how to bring this growing community of The SAFE Leader together in a more interactive way. So many of you have written to me, commented on posts, or reached out privately to share your thoughts, and I’d love to create a space for us to connect directly.

That’s why I’m working on launching a regular community call, a chance for us to come together and talk about the real issues we’re facing in work and life. It could be a place to share experiences, explore topics like inclusive leadership or psychological safety, or simply hear from guest speakers with valuable insights.

But I don’t want to make assumptions, I’d like to build this with you. Below are a few polls to help shape what the community call looks like. Please take a moment to vote and let me know what would be most meaningful for you.

Simon Burwood on Innovation, Inclusion, and Engineering the Future

This week on The SAFE Leader Podcast, I’m joined by Simon Burwood, Partner at ERM and co-founder of Engineering Safety Consultants. Simon’s story begins with childhood curiosity, dismantling his mum’s iron, and evolves into a career leading safety work across sectors including biosafety, renewables, and AI.

In our conversation, Simon reflects on his journey from traditional industries like oil and gas to the cutting edge of technical safety and systems thinking. He shares what it takes to stay adaptable in a fast-changing landscape, and how safety today is as much about culture, people, and learning as it is about process and compliance.

We also discuss Simon’s entrepreneurial path, his focus on inclusive recruitment, and how diversity and psychological safety are essential for effective leadership. Whether you're a safety professional, a team leader, or someone curious about where engineering is headed, Simon’s insights are not to be missed.

Let’s connect

Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected.

I love helping organisations where the angle I take with the work I do might help in someway have you make traction in your culture.

Feel free to get in touch here.

Stay SAFE!