Smart leaders focus on safety even in tough times, says Barrick's VP Safety and Health, Don Ritz. Businesses that retreat into survival mode and ignore safety do so at their peril, risking loss of employee and investor confidence and exposing themselves to high financial and reputational loss they can ill afford. It's a moment of truth when employees and stakeholders learn whether safety is truly your priority or just a convenient cliché for good times. Visionary leaders who build safety culture even in a downturn maintain people's trust, prevent loss, and position the organization for enhanced success as times improve. Safety is the right business focus in good times or bad.
