February 13 2023
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Everyone needs to know and do their part for a vessel to navigate successfully. One part keeps the ship on course, another keeps it in place. Regardless of what is powering this ship, rudders keep it on the desired course or change the direction when necessary. The anchor prohibits progress forward, holding it in the current location.
Leaders in an organization serve either as the rudders or anchors. Both are important. The rudder gives direction, and course corrects when necessary. The anchor prevents elements from moving the ship when it needs to hold or stop. It is dangerous to charge forward without the right resources and plan, and leaders should not thwart necessary progress because a new direction is unfamiliar or undesirable.
A leader can't always be a rudder, and they can't stay anchored to old thinking or practices either. Do your leaders have the capacity to serve as a rudder and anchor, and know when to switch?
"You do not move ahead by constantly looking in a rearview mirror. The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you. We must learn from the past but not live in the past." — Warren W. Wiersbe
"In order to realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the stress of the storm." — Corrie Ten Boom
"Leaders need to understand how profoundly they affect people, how their optimism and pessimism are equally infectious, how directly they set the tone and spirit of everyone around them." — D. Michael
Abrashoff, It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
Shawn M. Galloway is the CEO of ProAct Safety and an advisor to leading organizations across all major industries. With over twenty years of experience in safety systems, strategy, culture, leadership, and employee engagement, he is a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness.
He is the author of several bestselling books and has multiple regular columns in leading magazines, with over 400 articles and 100 videos to his credit. He also created the first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence, with over 800 episodes. Shawn has received numerous prestigious accolades and has been featured in Power 101 Leaders of the EHS World, Top 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS, Top 40 Rising Stars, Top 11 Health and Safety Influencers, and Top 10 Speakers.
He serves on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and the Fast Company Executive Board. He has appeared as a guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts, reinforcing his status as an authority in the field of safety excellence.
For more information, call +1.936.273.8700 or email info@ProActSafety.com.
