Leadership development for improved health and safety in a complex production environment

Abstract Good leadership is critical for the functioning and productivity of a production system as well as for employee health and safety. In the mining industry, which is characterised by complex production systems and ongoing technological and organisational transformations, developing leadership that supports both efficiency and well-being is a particular challenge. This paper presents the design and application of a leadership development process in a large Swedish mining company, based on systematic feedback, visualisation and coaching. The process builds on repeated company-wide surveys of managers and coworkers, measuring leadership behaviours, trust, health and safety climate. Individual and aggregated feedback reports were developed to visualise results as easily interpreted “shields”, supporting reflection and dialogue in coaching sessions and management forums. The reports evolved through several design iterations, increasingly integrating leadership, health and safety indicators. Preliminary analyses show that coworker ratings of relation-oriented leadership and trust are positively associated with their reported health, safety and job satisfaction. Managers participating in the intervention were rated higher on leadership dimensions compared to other managers. Interviews indicate that the feedback reports are appreciated as a concrete and innovative tool for leadership development but require integration into daily management routines to reach their full potential. The study demonstrates how feedback-based leadership development can link social and technical dimensions of production, supporting both leadership capability and organisational sustainability in a complex industrial environment.