Leadership

PODCAST:
Leadership, Strategy & System Change: Interview with Stuart Binstock & Michelle Walker

The Goal: Zero Suicide

Workplaces that adhere to a strong culture of safety set a goal of zero workplace-related fatalities. Suicide is no exception.

What if construction industry leaders believed that suicide could be eliminated and did everything in their power to prevent it?

Leadership and role modeling matters!

The Construction Industry Blueprint (U.S. Resource) helps us start to build the policies and practices we need to have in place for zero suicide to become a reality. No one should die in isolation and despair.

All lives are worth saving!

"Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration—of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine."
- Lance Secretan, Industry Week

Leadership is at the core of all successful outcomes in a business because leadership sets the tone for what is valued in an organization. Leaders are often challenged to identify priorities within their organization, and most realize that their human resources are their most valuable assets. The best practice, U.S. Air Force Model for Suicide Prevention was successful because the vision came from the top down. These leaders have now caused ripple effects throughout our military branches because they dared to tackle a hidden problem head on. Credible messaging and modeling from leadership are sometimes the most cost-effective ways to create change in an organization.

What is the message and modeling your leadership is sending to your organization when it comes to issues of mental health?

• Be Bold

• Be Reassuring

• Be a Role Model

Leaders Making a Difference

Cal Beyer: My Journey to Find Meaning After My Friend/Coworker's Suicide | By Emily Alvarez

Stories of lived experience can be used to fight the stigma of mental illness and suicide and to help get people involved in the movement. These journeys humanize the suicide prevention movement and help other people seek help. This series on lived experience is a great chance to highlight a loss survivor's story and the search for meaning after loss.

Cal Beyer is a friend of our CEO Sally Spencer-Thomas, as well as a friend to our organization. He lost a coworker last February and has been making meaning out of the loss ever since. As it is nearing the anniversary of his coworker's death, we wanted to share Cal's story of finding meaning through loss. This is his story. Read More…

Jon Kinning, COO for RK, a Denver-based construction company.

RK has been acknowledged by the Denver Business Journal as one of Colorado’s Healthiest Large Employers. They know that investing in the mental health of employees creates a safer, more resilient workforce. In 2014, they become the first U.S. company to host a Construction Executive Roundtable on Suicide Prevention. RK Foundation was the provided support for the Construction Industry Blueprint and www.ConstructionWorkingMinds.org. In the summer of 2015 they were recognized with the “Corporate Shooting Star” award by the Carson J Spencer Foundation for leadership in their industry.

Learn More:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FVURylcfsM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAZ8gf__po

Jorgen Gullestrup, CEO MATES in Construction

Jorgen Gullestrup's LinkedIn profile lists him as a plumber and suicidologist; a Danish man from Brisbane, Australia. The truth is since 2007, he has helped revolutionize how the construction industry addresses suicide prevention, and his innovative strategies are now recognized internationally.

Learn More:
https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/2

Michelle Walker - Vice President of Finance and Administration, SSC Underground

Michelle Walker, CCIFP, SPHR has been a leader of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention since it’s inception in 2016 and is a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s workplace task force. She is proud to be a part of the team leading the construction industry’s initiative toward zero suicide.



Learn More:
http://constructionexec.com/article/how-hr-can-impact-suicide-prevention-in-the-workplace
https://twitter.com/mwalker1127
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-walker-ccifp-sphr-9947bba/

Additional Resources for Leaders: I am a Leader