Good leadership plays an important role in keeping people safe on farms. The way leaders plan work, communicate expectations and respond to safety concerns influences how workers carry out their tasks every day.
Recognising leaders on farms
Understanding leadership on farms requires looking beyond organisational structures. While farm owners and managers often set the direction for health and safety, supervisors, leading hands and experienced workers can also influence how work is carried out and how health and safety expectations are applied in practice.
In smaller farming operations, a farm owner, manager and supervisor may be the same person, while in larger businesses these responsibilities may be shared across different people.
Regardless of the structure, effective leadership helps establish expectations, provide supervisors and workers with the resources they need, and create a workplace where safe work is valued and supported.
Setting clear and consistent expectations
Setting clear expectations is a defining feature of effective leadership. Workers need to understand not only what tasks they are required to perform, but also how they should be carried out and why controls are necessary. By communicating expectations clearly and consistently, leaders create a shared understanding of what safe work looks like.
This is especially important when working with seasonal workers, young workers and those with limited English proficiency (culturally and linguistically diverse workers), as assumptions about their knowledge or experience can increase risk. Clear expectations reduce ambiguity, prevent unsafe workarounds and support compliance with safe systems of work.
Leading through behaviour
A leader's greatest influence comes from their own behaviour. Workers pay far more attention to what leaders do than what they say. By using operator protective devices, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), holding the required high risk work licences (HRWLs) and stopping work when conditions change, leaders demonstrate the standard expected of others.
When leaders ignore controls, take shortcuts or tolerate unsafe behaviour, they communicate that these practices are acceptable and workplace standards can quickly decline. In agriculture, workplace norms often influence behaviour more strongly than written procedures. Leaders who model safe behaviour play a critical role in improving work health and safety (WHS) outcomes by reinforcing that safe work practices are expected of everyone, regardless of experience or seniority.
Communication and leadership
Clear communication is a key part of effective leadership. Good leaders communicate early, clearly and regularly by briefing workers before tasks begin, checking in during the job and adjusting plans as conditions change. They encourage questions, listen to concerns and ensure changing conditions are identified and managed promptly.
Communication methods should be adapted to suit the workforce and the task. When managing diverse teams, toolbox discussions, demonstrations and visual aids can be more effective than verbal instructions alone, helping workers understand hazards, control measures and safe work practices.
Effective WHS communication is a two-way process. It involves not only providing clear instructions but also listening and responding to workers, creating an environment where everyone feels able to contribute to a safer workplace.
Managing psychosocial pressures
Good leadership in agriculture also involves recognising and responding to psychosocial pressures in the workplace. Fatigue, stress, conflict, isolation and high workloads can affect how workers behave, make decisions and perform their work.
Leaders who recognise these factors and respond early can help create safer and more resilient workplaces. By monitoring changes in worker behaviour, encouraging open communication and acting on concerns, they help identify and manage risks before they escalate.
Psychosocial risks are WHS risks and should be identified, assessed and controlled in the same way as any other workplace hazard.
Learn more about managing psychosocial hazards on farms.
Supporting effective supervision
In many agricultural workplaces, supervisors have significant responsibilities but may lack the time, authority or resources to supervise effectively. While leaders set expectations and priorities, supervisors play an important role in putting those expectations into practice.
Effective leadership means ensuring supervisors have the support, authority and resources they need to carry out that role effectively.
Leaders should ensure supervisors have clear direction and the authority to act as needed. They should be provided with training in communication, conflict management and task planning. By equipping supervisors with skills, authority and the support they need, leaders create a strong chain of responsibility that supports workers and promotes safe work across the entire operation.
To learn more about how leaders can support their supervisors, read supporting supervisors.
Creating a positive safety culture
Leadership has a direct influence on workplace safety culture. Workers take their cues from the behaviours they see from their leaders. Leaders who plan work well, respond constructively to concerns and make safety part of everyday work set the standard for others to follow.
Strong leadership helps create a positive safety culture and can significantly improve WHS outcomes on your farm.