March 16 2026
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Many leaders think culture is what they communicate. It isn't. Culture is what gets rewarded and what gets tolerated.
If your standards only exist when the right leader is watching, you don't have standards. You have moods. And here's the truth: every exception you permit trains the organization on what really matters.
So, if people experience shortcuts, silence, or "we'll deal with it later," that becomes the real culture, regardless of what the posters say. What if your "culture problem" isn't culture at all, but specific behaviors YOU keep walking past?
This week, pick one tolerance you've normalized. Name it. Remove it. And watch-what starts to change.
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.
