In high-pressure, regulated environments, ineffective management isn’t just a performance issue. It’s a risk issue. Over three decades, from the shop floor to senior leadership across military, facilities management, engineering, and construction, I’ve seen how operational pressure, compliance, and human decision-making all collide.

The greatest risks rarely come from missing rules or processes. They come from placing capable technical specialists into management systems that weren’t built to support human leadership. Managers don’t struggle because they lack ability. They struggle because the system wasn’t built for them.

As Vice-Chair of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) for Ireland, I bring this real-world perspective into the risk conversation. I work to influence the profession and organisations alike, advocating for management that strengthens organisational resilience, reduces operational risk, and builds human-centred management systems.

Strong managerial leadership is the most overlooked control in organisational risk. My work focuses on shaping systems, culture, and capability so managers can perform when it matters most. The qualities that underpin effective leadership under pressure are:

Judgement & decision-making

Consistency & accountability

Adaptability & resilience

Emotional intelligence & communication

This isn’t about “fixing managers.” It’s about reshaping the systems that surround them, ensuring teams are engaged, compliant, and capable of delivering in complex, high-stakes environments.

I welcome conversations with leaders and peers in the risk and management community who want to rethink how organisations develop human-centred leadership.