Welcome

Last week, our EqualEngineers team came together in person for a few energising days in London. It’s not often we’re all in the same room, so we made the most of it, with presentations, business development workshops, and a few rounds of axe throwing (yes, really!).

Beyond the fun and games, it was a powerful reminder of what real connection can unlock, creativity, understanding, collaboration, and a renewed sense of purpose. It left us excited about what’s next.

Why Fear-Based Cultures Fail Us

In this week’s episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, I’m joined by Jade Garratt, Director of Education at Psychological Safety. With a background spanning education, leadership, and yoga, Jade brings a unique lens to how psychological safety can transform how we learn, lead, and work.

Together, we explore how curiosity beats blame, why real learning goes deeper than training, and how to build resilient, human-centred teams.

This conversation is a must-listen for leaders and educators looking to create more inclusive, reflective workplace cultures.

IEEE-USA Webinar Recap

A few weeks ago, I hosted a webinar with IEEE-USA tackling the mental health crisis in engineering and construction.

With two construction workers dying by suicide every day in the U.S., it's clear we need new leadership models, ones rooted in empathy, inclusion, and psychological safety.

Using my SAFE Leader framework, I explored practical ways leaders can support mental resilience, reduce stigma, and foster environments where people feel safe to speak up and seek help.

The feedback was incredible, and I’m glad to share the recording.

The Myth of Fake Safety and How to Break It

This week’s article in the Safety on the Edge series spotlights a powerful keynote from Laurie Shelby, former VP of Environment, Health & Safety at Tesla. In her talk, Laurie challenges the illusion of “fake safety”, where metrics may look good on paper, but the reality on the ground tells a different story.

She shared examples of teams afraid to report near misses, leaders relying too heavily on scorecards, and how a fear-driven culture erodes trust from the inside out. “If people are scared to speak up, your safety programme is broken,” she said, a statement that drew knowing nods across the room.

The article dives into the psychology behind safety metrics, explores how to build true cultural ownership, and includes some of Laurie’s most compelling insights on what real leadership in safety looks like.

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!