June 22 2026
By: Shawn M. Galloway
There is a belief in many organizations that if the culture is strong enough, everything else takes care of itself. It does not.
I watched a Canadian oil and gas leadership team have a wake-up moment during a safety strategy workshop. They had strong culture. But many of their workers were contractors. Members of the culture were not always present to norm new contractors.
The executive said it plainly: "Wow, we have been relying on our culture." That realization changed their strategy. Culture is the most powerful sustainability mechanism an organization has. But culture without strategy is hope. And hope is not a plan. Your culture shapes behavior when it is present. Your strategy has to account for when it is not.
Rules, expectations, onboarding, leadership presence. Having these is not an indicator that your culture is weak. They are what protect it.
Does your safety strategy protect and advance your culture, or are you relying on one to carry the other?
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.
