As much as we like to keep the mood light around here, there are a few things that Mesa holds sacred, leadership and safety being two of them. As I have said before, Mesa is built on three pillars: Safety, Quality, and Productivity. While none of these concepts is greater than the other, we are currently in the middle of safety month (June) at our locations. Today we are focusing on the role of leadership in safety.
What Would Jocko Do?
The leadership path at Mesa includes a reading list of many different voices. They run the gamut of business thought leaders, finance, philosophy, leadership tactics, and Jocko. In case you live under a rock, Jocko is an ex-Navy SEAL who has successfully transitioned into a consulting career that emphasizes leadership, among other concepts.
One of the first books Mesa employees will read is “Extreme Ownership” By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. For those who have not read the book, there are some engaging and valuable ideas directly pertaining to leadership and accountability. Jocko and his co-writer Leif Babin, take the reader on a journey through wartime situations that tie in with anecdotes about business. Both of these fellas have extensive leadership training and are well versed in the nuances of leadership under duress which can present a unique perspective for those who have never had to make decisions that could get someone killed.
The Four Laws of Combat
While here in marketing we are not in combat with anything other than the stubborn breakroom coffee maker and the Google algorithm, many of Jocko’s ideas make sense. His four rules of combat are an outline for leaders, and no matter which level of leadership you occupy, his ideas are solid. The basic building blocks are: Cover and move, Simple (meaning keep it simple), Prioritize and Execute, and Decentralized Command. Overall, these dictate that leadership must take responsibility for their sphere of influence and at Mesa that means safety.
Lead Up
Many companies take the stance that safety is a personal responsibility, while that may be inherently true, safety culture begins and ends with management. Emulating what Jocko preaches about ownership is one way Mesa can provide the highest level of service. Our employees are encouraged to practice accountability all the way up through the upper levels of management. Everyone is in it for the same goal and influence can flow both ways on the org chart.
Imagine getting your daily safety brief from someone who routinely chokes out his opponents when practicing Jui-Jitsu. Let’s just say the concepts are what Mesa applies and not the execution. Fortunately, our executives have never called me out to do Jui-Jitsu (or whatever you call it), but they have voiced the expectation that I will actively champion the culture of safety at Mesa. So far I have never had to fill out an incident report, but I read them often and the fact that we as a company document near misses is a testament to our commitment to improvement. Leadership believes that not brushing off what could have been a serious incident is a learning opportunity. I can confidently say that overall, employees at Mesa are very safety conscious, and our numbers support that claim.
Sometimes though, no matter how hard you try, incidents can happen when you are in the field. As we close out safety month, we want to remember the generator technician who was chased by an angry bull out on a service call. He managed to get in one of our generators and escape the beast and was unharmed. I like to think this brave technician had the voice of Jocko running through his head at that time, and who knows maybe the bull did too.
