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Special Report Special Report

with something as simple as “How’s Leaders need to walk the fl oor regu- urgency. These neurochemical patterns human connection. By regularly ask- and Future of an Interpersonal Con-  Young, S.N. (2007). Increasing
your day going?” or sharing a laugh, larly, not just during formal audits but are refl ected in day-to-day choices ing, “Who felt genuinely connected struct. Annual Review of Organi- serotonin without drugs. Journal of
leaders tap into dopamine’s reward and informally and often while mirroring that move safety from a program to a today?” and “Who might be silently zational Psychology. Psychiatry & Neuroscience.
motivation pathways, opening the door the character and qualities they want to shared ethos – a culture where belong- struggling?” organisations proactively  Schultz, W. (2015). Neuronal reward  Zak, P. (2017). The Neuroscience of

to authentic interactions. Even small observe. Engage in conversations, not ing and accountability are insepar- address subtle risks. Adopting Living signals. Physiological Reviews. Trust. Harvard Business Review.
physical gestures – like a handshake, interrogations. Watch for non-verbal able. Indicators and micro-moments trans-
high fi ve, or fi st bump – can release cues: who speaks freely, who defers, forms safety into a lived reality, ABOUT THE AUTHORS
oxytocin and build connection. These who remains silent. Ask questions that Why it matters – now more than ever advancing resilient, high-performing
actions build trust and lower barriers. Have open up refl ection: “When was the last You may read this and think, this teams. This isn’t just a framework – it’s Khadar Vali Shaik is Vice President – Safety for the CFI
a conversation. One time, a woman told time you felt unsafe?” or “Have you is all great in theory, but my leader- a movement. Global Chemical Business at Aditya Birla Group. He has previ-
me fl at-out, “I can’t stand you,” because ever been unsure but went ahead any- ship will never buy in. But we want to ously held leadership roles at Dow Chemicals and Dr. Reddy’s
she thought I had implemented a policy way?” Storytelling is a powerful method encourage you that looking at Living Safety isn’t a system; it’s a shared Laboratories. An MBA graduate in Business Analytics from
that negatively affected her. Instead of here. Share your stories and encour- Indicators isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ its human commitment. Living Indica- BITS Pilani, he also holds other national and international
defending myself, I listened. She needed age teams to share real stories – about a ‘need to have’. In today’s chemical tors serve as our early warning signs, educational qualifi cations. Khadar always loves to wear his
to be heard. Sometimes policies don’t lessons learned, moments of courage, industry landscape – marked by digi- feedback loops, and relational radar. safety jacket and step into the fi eld – connecting with hearts,
make sense in practice, and when you or times when they stopped work for tal transformation, regulatory scrutiny, Tuning into them means protecting not minds, chemicals, and machines. He blends technical rigor
acknowledge that, you build trust. From the right reasons. These narratives sur- evolving technologies, and demographic only operations but also refl ecting life with a human-fi rst approach to build cultures of safety and operational excellence.
that moment, we didn’t just clear the air – face the Living Indicators that no KPI shifts – the need for a resilient safety itself.
we built a relationship. Listening with- dashboard can show. Behavioural map- culture is greater than ever. As systems Emily Elrod is a human performance strategist and
out defensiveness can transform resis- ping can also help identify patterns: become more complex, human intui- Stay Safe…I Own Safety. founder of Workzbe, specializing in behavioural science
tance into alliance and allow for Living which tasks are rushed, where distrac- tion and trust become even more vital. and workplace optimisation. With a Master’s in Health
Indicators to be truly observed. This is tions occur, or where misunderstand- The best-designed processes can fail if REFERENCES Science she designs human-centred solutions that elevate safety,
not about catching people doing some- ings frequently arise. people don’t feel safe to speak, ques-  Arnsten, A. F. (2015). Stress weakens decision-making, and organisational well-being. Emily
thing wrong – it’s about understanding tion, or pause. prefrontal networks. Nature Neuro- has guided Fortune 500 companies and high-risk in-
how people operate within the system. From data to embodiment science. dustries in adopting people-fi rst strategies. She is a key-
Living Indicators bridge data and Living Indicators serve as our early-  Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023). note speaker and thought leader, blending scientifi c insight with practical
T he Mirror Effect: Emotional refl ec- embodiment. True safety lives in warning radar. They show us where Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. application to transform workplace culture and enable sustainable performance
tions and mirroring neurons micro-moments: a double-check before a disengagement is creeping in, where  Edmondson, A.C., & Lei, Z. (2014). under pressure.
One of the most powerful Living critical lift, a cautious glance, a second overconfi dence is setting in, or where Psychological Safety: The History
Indicator is the emotional wake a leader verification. These small, thoughtful normalization of deviation is taking
leaves behind – what we might call their actions – driven by care, not obligation – root. Ignoring these signals is like Chemical Weekly | Import-Export Data
“Mirror Effect.” Grounded in the sci- signal cultural maturity. When people fl ying blind. Embracing them is how
ence of mirroring neurons, this concept act safely because they want to, not we future-proof our operations. Market Surveys | Directories
highlights how leaders emotionally because they have to, safety becomes
infl uence those around them – not just part of who they are. Safety can no longer be reactive – it Business Forums | Expositions
in their presence, but in their absence. Peo- must be relational, real-time, and rooted
ple naturally mirror the behaviours and True safety culture isn’t rules – it’s in human experience. The only organisation in India catering exclusively to the needs of the entire chemical industry
emotional cues of authority fi gures. If a relationships. Ask:
leader promotes safety through empathy,  Can team members disagree By relying exclusively on traditional

curiosity, and humility, those behaviours without backlash? metrics, organisations risk responding
ripple throughout the organisation. But  Can anyone challenge unsafe reactively, only after incidents occur. Contact:

if a leader, even unintentionally, models behaviour, regardless of rank? Living Indicators enable proactive SEVAK PUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD.
stress, disregard for wellbeing, or priori-  Can someone admit a mistake identifi cation of safety vulnerabilities
tizes profi t over people, that too becomes without fear? by illuminating subtle emotional and 602-B, Godrej Coliseum, K.J. Somaiya Hospital Road,
mirrored. Culture becomes compliance-  Can someone ask a question, even behavioural cues before they escalate Behind Everard Nagar, Sion (E),
driven, not commitment-driven. What if they don’t know the terminology? into incidents.
people feel when you’re around – and Mumbai 400 022.
just as importantly, what behaviours you These are the real metrics of safety. The call to action Phone: +91-22-24044471 / 72
model when you think no one is watch- Serotonin and oxytocin promote open- Leaders must evolve from compli-
ing – becomes the emotional refl ection ness. Cortisol and dopamine, when ance-driven approaches to a culture of Email: admin@chemicalweekly.com
that guides the entire system. channelled well, fuel passion and emotional engagement and authentic

170 Chemical Weekly June 10, 2025 Chemical Weekly June 10, 2025 171

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