Over the past three years, we’ve seen some of the most significant changes in workplace behaviour legislation in decades. One of the most notable is the introduction of the Positive Duty – a legal obligation that requires employers to take proactive steps to prevent unlawful behaviours such as gender discrimination, sexual harassment and sex-based harassment.
It’s no longer enough to simply react to complaints; organisations must now demonstrate they’re taking reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate these behaviours from occurring in the first place.
Understandably, responsible employers are doing what’s required to ensure policies, training, and reporting processes are in place. But this commitment to comply sometimes overlooks a special ingredient that has the potential to elevate compliance into something more transformative: leader role-modelling.
Leadership that goes beyond the checklist
Many organisations do a great job of ticking compliance boxes. They update policies, communicate with all staff, run training programs, and manage issues appropriately. These are vital steps, and they demonstrate that workplaces are moving in the right direction.
However, I believe the culture of a workplace – the everyday behaviours, the silent cues, the way people feel – is shaped more profoundly by what leaders do. Not just what we say, but how we show up, how we engage with our teams, and how we respond under pressure.
If we want workplace health and safety to be more than a checkbox, we must first be willing to live and breathe the behaviours we expect of others.
Awareness is the starting point
Being an effective role model doesn’t mean being perfect. It starts with being aware of how our own leadership style impacts the people around us. We can ask ourselves:
- Do we create an environment where people feel safe to speak up?
- Do we respond with empathy when someone raises a concern?
- Do we promote respect in every interaction, even in moments of stress or disagreement?
These may seem like simple questions, but they reflect real-world behaviours that can either build or erode psychological safety in teams. This could be the foundation of trust, collaboration, innovation – and ultimately, compliance.
Understanding the legislation and ourselves
Under WA Safety, the Workplace Behaviour Code of Practice has made it clear that psychological health and safety is a shared responsibility. As leaders, we need to be familiar with the law – not just for compliance, but to truly understand what it means to lead in a way that protects and supports the wellbeing of our people.
This means deepening our understanding of:
- Types of psychosocial risks that exist in our workplaces.
- Leadership skills that promote psychological safety.
- Proactive strategies that can prevent harm before it occurs.
From my own experience, this means embracing a leadership mindset that’s not just reactive, but intentionally preventative.
Leadership is influence, not just authority
I have always believed that people generally observe more than they listen. They notice when a leader interrupts or listens. When they avoid conflict or address it constructively. When they dismiss concerns or take them seriously.
As leaders, we set the tone. Every action or inaction sends a message. When we consistently model respect, empathy, accountability, and care, we empower others to do the same.
When we walk the talk, we can transform compliance from a rule to a culture.
The introduction of stronger workplace legislation gives us a unique opportunity to elevate the standard of leadership. But true change won’t come from regulations, policies, training, and communication alone.
It will come from people – especially from those of us who hold the responsibility of leadership.
When we role model the behaviours we want to see, we don’t just comply with the law. We create workplace cultures where people feel safe, respected, and able to thrive.
And this, to me, is leadership worth aspiring to.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
The author, Angie Paskevicius, is the Chair of Pathwest, and Leadership WA. She is a well-respected thought leader and executive coach.