Kind Leadership workshop sets practical course to improve safety
culture, reduce risk and strengthen retention
Following growing recognition that Kind Leadership is essential to
maritime excellence, leaders from across the sector gathered in London
earlier in November to discuss how ‘_we can bring about and then
support a lasting industry cultural change_’.
The Kind Leadership Workshop, jointly developed by the Maritime
Professional Council (MPC), The Nautical Institute and CHIRP, brought
together shipowners, mariners, regulators and training bodies to shape a
clear and achievable implementation pathway.
Building on the 2023 Kind Leadership Report findings, which recognised
that 88% of maritime professionals see a place for Kind Leadership in
the industry, workshop participants agreed that Kind Leadership is not a
rigid model, but a set of behaviours built on empathy, trust,
accountability and steady leadership.
The workshop’s outcome is a practical “Implementation Passage
Plan” that sets out how Kind Leadership can become part of everyday
operational activities. The plan focuses on developing easy-to-implement
training modules for leaders, managers and crews, measuring results
accurately and encouraging visible leadership commitment to these
activities.
Mentoring, integration into existing technical training through toolbox
talks and soft-skills sessions, direct support to cadets through
micro-learning and clear communication tools are core elements in the
implementation of the plan. Measurement will focus on behavioural
indicators developed through surveys, welfare and engagement levels,
impact on operational safety, performance and retention.
The overall message from the workshop underlined the fact that a
learning culture outperforms a blame culture and Kind Leadership
provides a practical route to safer, more resilient and more attractive
working environments, improving retention of talent and attraction of
new hires.
Captain John Lloyd FNI, CEO of The Nautical Institute said:
“The workshop’s discussions clearly demonstrated that while
regulation is important, it is people who make ships safer. That
requires leadership driven from the top and a culture that supports and
inspires everyone, at sea and ashore, to work together with clarity,
trust and shared purpose. As we improve that alignment, we create safer
operations, better working environments and a maritime sector where
people truly want to belong.”
Next Steps
Over the coming months, MPC and participating partners will:
- Work with organisations willing to adopt and pilot the suggested
framework - Capture measurable results and develop case studies to share the
knowledge - Support mentoring initiatives, soft-skills training and a network of
ambassadors - Share guidance, tools and learning resources across the sector
Collaboration, transparency and documented steady progress are at the
heart of this initiative. Kind Leadership is not a distraction from
operational excellence; it is increasingly recognised as its foundation.
To listen to industry leaders explaining what Kind Leadership means on
board, please click this link here.
About The Nautical Institute
The Nautical Institute is an international representative body for
maritime professionals involved in the control of seagoing ships. It
provides a wide range of services to enhance the professional standing
and knowledge of members, who are drawn from all sectors of the maritime
world. Founded in 1972, the Institute has more than 50 branches
worldwide and some 9,000 members in more than 120 countries. For more
information, please visit the website.
