August 17 2026
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Experiences and stories are the most powerful force in your culture. They confirm or destroy the beliefs that drive behavior, and whoever has the loudest voice is shaping the storytelling in your organization.
When someone takes action, and it results in a bad experience, that story spreads fast. And it shapes what everyone else decides to do next. The problem is many leaders are not managing the experiences; they are reacting to the stories.
When someone reports a safety concern and nothing happens, a story is told. When someone exercises stop work authority and is criticized, a story is told. When someone joins a safety committee and isn’t supported by their boss, a story is told. Those stories become the unwritten rules of your culture.
If you are not monitoring employees' experiences, narratives will emerge, and they may not be the ones you want.
So, what stories are being told on your front line today, and how accurate are they?
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular 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. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
