Leadership guide

In almost every area of business, the importance of good leadership cannot be overestimated. In the UK, the HSE fully appreciates the role that good safety leadership has on an organisation's safety performance. ‘Good safety is good business’ is the ethos reflected in the HSE guidance aimed at board members, directors and other senior managers in all organisations, and is a message that needs to be driven down through the organisation, so that, at all levels, the importance of safety culture and personal accountability is clearly understood.

With regard to environmental and energy management, there is huge value to be gained through strategic management of environmental risks and opportunities. Issues such as climate change, resource scarcity and the costs of dealing with pollution and waste are of paramount importance to organisations operating within finite environmental limits, and demonstrating good leadership in this field can demonstrate to stakeholders and customers that an organisation is on the top of its game.

The Institute of Leadership and Management believes ‘skilled managers and leaders hold the key to creating productive, engaged, high-performing workforces, which drive business and economic success’.

Research shows that well-managed, well-led businesses perform better, and achieving the right mix of inspirational leadership and effective management can significantly impact organisational performance, affecting profit, growth and market success. Statistics from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills show that bad management accounts for 56% of business failures and costs the UK economy around £19bn a year in lost working hours alone.