It's a balancing act. You have to maintain your system to stay focused and on track. However, safety leadership is the thing that will change the culture of safety as well as safety performance. Safety leadership behaviour might be the most important leading indicator in an organisation. But how do we measure it?

He is dead right.

Of course we need standardized systems ./ processes. But beyond a framework proportional to the risk environment this becomes "look busy" type of work.

So the effort should be put into developing leaders. But not "safety leaders".

We need more effort put into developing business leaders how can work with and through others to achieve their business objectives. And of course "safety" should be woven into this - but not treated as a separate task. Theres a lot of "Look busy " work in "safety Leadership"

The issue with focusing on developing leadership is that leaders come and go - but that is not to say you shouldn't do it. Train them well enough that they can leave, but treat them well enough that they will stay.

One issue with a reliance on "good leaders" for H&S is the how well is H&S managed in the interim period between filling a leadership role and developing that leader to a point you are comfortable with - this is where you need good systems in place.