June 15 2026
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Zero incident goals may feel inspiring, but they often motivate risk-taking, not excellence. When "safety" gets defined as "no incidents," people learn a dangerous shortcut: "If nothing happened, it must have been safe."
That belief is how complacency grows. Risk gets normalized. And eventually, leaders say things like, "How did we miss that?" or "I can't believe that experienced person did that."
Think about health. Is health the absence of visible symptoms? Or is it early detection and early response? Safety works the same way. Excellence is not just avoiding failure. It's building the ability to detect weak signals, respond to deviations, and improve before someone gets hurt.
So ask yourself: What do we want, specifically, in safety?
What behaviors, what conditions, what follow-through?
Are we measuring success… or just the absence of bad news?
This week: pick one leading measure that proves you're getting safer, not just getting luckier.
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.
