Planting seeds

This bulletin captures the essence of the phrase, "from small things, big things can grow."

For many in my network, including myself, our work now keeps us tied to the office. The message for site-based personnel is simple: see something, say something. But weak signals aren't exclusive to physical operations or fieldwork.

It's often said that process safety is everyone's responsibility. Likewise, leadership applies to anyone, not just those with ‘lead’ or ‘manager’ in their titles. The moment you recognize something valuable and choose to share or act on it, you become a leader. Even my toddler nephew, Archibald, demonstrates leadership—he senses tension at home and defuses it with a simple smile. (We could all strive to be a bit more like Archibald; a smile goes a long way.)

Everyone has a role to play in process safety and leadership. It is our collective responsibility to remain proactive, identifying risks before they escalate. Just as we strive to stay on the leading indicator side of risk management—the left-hand side of our bowties—we should apply the same mindset to leadership and office-based work. By recognizing weak signals, implementing preventive measures, and taking early action, we can foster a culture of continuous improvement and proactive decision-making in all areas of work.

Recognizing Weak Signals Beyond the Field

Have you ever proposed an improvement strategy that required approval from another team or reporting level, only to be met with indifference? You spend time preparing an idea, but the leader’s reaction is dismissive. Without approval (or endorsement), the initiative stalls and dies. This is an office-based weak signal.

Indifference, inaction, and downplaying risks are just as decisive as taking action. When someone brings up an idea, how do we, as leaders, respond? Are we truly listening, or are we rushing the conversation to move on to something "more important"?

A dismissive reaction can send the message: I don’t have time for this or I don’t care if you do this or not.

That’s how we can extinguish enthusiasm. The passion someone has to improve things can be snuffed out—just like a fire.

A Lesson from Howl’s Moving Castle

The CCPS bulletin states: "Many major incidents had weak signals or warning signs that were ignored before the incident. After the incident, these signals were obvious." This highlights a critical lesson—warning signs are often present, but they require awareness and action to prevent disaster. Failing to acknowledge these early indicators can result in severe consequences.

This reminds me of a scene from Howl’s Moving Castle, one of my favorite movies of all time. Calcifer, a magical fire demon, resides at the heart of Howl’s shifting castle. One day, Sophie, a main character, becomes overly task-focused on cleaning and removes Calcifer from the fireplace with little (to no) kindling. He warns her multiple times that he's going out and asks for firewood. She dismisses him, replying nonchalantly, "You’ll be fine, I’m just sweeping up the ashes." Howl (protagonist) returns just in time to blow on Calcifer, reigniting him. Shortly after, Calcifer remarks, "If I die, Howl dies too, you know."

Calcifer’s warnings were weak signals. Sophie’s indifference almost led to catastrophe (a multiple fatality risk). She lacked awareness of the extent of the risk—which is exactly why risk assessments require multiple people to input, analyze, and dissect risks and rectification measures. On the other hand, she may have understood that Calcifer would go out, yet she still did not take action. She normalized the risk level. Additionally, she didn’t prioritize or rectify it in a timely manner.

Just as Sophie overlooked the severity of the situation, leaders and teams in any industry can become desensitized to risks over time. The key is to remain vigilant, take on feedback and understand when action is necessary.

Ignoring weak signals—whether in safety or leadership—can have lasting consequences.

Leadership is About Planting the Right Seeds

Being a leader means balancing pragmatism with encouragement. Not every observation requires immediate action, but how we respond matters. A few moments of recognition—a smile, a nod, a genuine acknowledgment—can plant the seeds of passion and tenacity instead of sowing doubt and complacency.

A valuable lesson I’ve learned is that trust and respect are seeds that must be nourished, just as much as task completion (KPI). Servant leadership comes to the forefront of my mind, where empathy and empowerment fuel personal and organizational growth. It is imperative to cultivate a culture of attention and response both laterally and longitudinally.

Even if we are not the leaders but the recipient of such behaviors, we must remember: "Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do."

This is not to say that the leader is insecure and therefore not responsive; rather, it is to affirm that taking up space and asserting oneself is valid.

On the receiving end, we can lead by recognizing good leadership behaviors and reinforcing them. We, too, have the power and opportunity to guide our leaders toward better responses by modeling the right behavior and speaking out.

Marianne Williamson truly said it best: "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." By embracing this mindset, we not only strengthen our leadership but also inspire those around us to do the same—whether they be seniors we report to, employees that report to us, colleagues we collaborate with, or juniors we mentor, etc.

In light of this, I say—let’s make sure we’re planting the right seeds for growth, fostering continuous improvement in both process safety and leadership.

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