In boardrooms and worksites alike, “storytelling” has become one of the most overused words in leadership circles. But when it comes to safety, storytelling isn’t a marketing exercise or a communications fad – it’s a strategic lever for shaping behaviour, building ownership, and changing culture.
As journalist and author Jehan Casinader explains in The Art of Safety Leadership podcast, “We try to achieve behavioural change before we’ve achieved narrative change.”
In this episode, he joins Daniel McGuigan, Global EHS Director for Fleet Safety at PepsiCo, and host Nathan Hight to explore how stories, told honestly, vulnerably, and with purpose, can transform safety culture from compliance to connection.
Why Storytelling Matters in Safety
Casinader begins by reframing what storytelling really is:
“People use the word storytelling to talk about YouTube content, CEO updates, or marketing. But in its purest form, storytelling is about influence.”
He breaks influence into four essential elements – the same ones that make safety messages memorable:
- Character – Real people and lived experiences, not abstract “workers.”
- Journey – The challenge or transformation that person goes through.
- Conflict – The obstacles, mistakes or near misses that create emotion.
- Jeopardy – What’s truly at stake — the human cost if things go wrong.
“If there’s no jeopardy in the story, there’s nothing that hooks you in,” Casinader notes. “When we don’t protect our people or empower them to speak up, we can lose lives. There’s no greater justification for storytelling in business.”
McGuigan agrees. “You have to talk to people’s hearts, not just their heads. Real examples and lived experiences make the risk real – they cut through in a way a policy never can.”
From Compliance to Connection
Many organisations still treat culture change as a training rollout. Policies, standards and toolkits dominate. Yet, as Casinader warns, “We try to change behaviour before we change the story.” Storytelling flips the order. When people understand the “why” behind safety, behaviour follows naturally.
At PepsiCo, McGuigan’s global team is responsible for more than 82,000 vehicles – an operation with constant risk exposure. But their approach to culture change isn’t rule-heavy. It’s human-heavy. He shares one powerful example:
“We had a driver in the US who was paralysed in a forklift incident. He and his wife chose to sit in front of a camera and tell their colleagues what had happened. That emotion – his honesty and hers – hit harder than any compliance message ever could.”
Real stories like these, he says, create ownership, not oversight. They help people see themselves in the narrative – and that’s what drives sustainable change.
Vulnerability Is a Leadership Skill
Both guests agree: vulnerability is the missing ingredient in many safety conversations.
Casinader cites Brené Brown’s line: “Vulnerability is the first thing I want to see in you, and the last thing I want you to see in me.” He explains:
“In business, we want others to be open, but we don’t want to do it ourselves. Vulnerability isn’t oversharing — it’s showing up as human.”
McGuigan echoes this principle in practice. Through PepsiCo’s “Test Drive Testimonials” programme, employees share short real-life driving experiences in the company’s quarterly newsletter – moments where a near miss was avoided or a collision prevented by applying safety tips. “When people read a story from a colleague on the other side of the world, it means something. They see that safety connects us all.”
Authentic vulnerability – not polished perfection – helps people see that safety isn’t an obligation from above, but a shared human commitment.
Telling Stories That Resonate
For storytelling to land, leaders must understand their audience. Casinader explains: “You don’t have one audience — you have many. Each has different needs, different journeys.” Messages that work for frontline workers may not work for executives. Similarly, middle managers — often the “missing middle” of culture change — need specific engagement strategies.
McGuigan agrees. “You have to approach different people and cultures in different ways. Our EHS team may lead on compliance, but the owners of safety are everybody — from the CEO to the frontline.” That ownership mindset is central to PepsiCo’s philosophy: “Beyond Zero – Pursuit Positive.” It means health and safety can be regenerative — adding value to people’s lives, not just preventing harm. “We’re not chasing zero accidents,” McGuigan says. “We’re trying to make people healthier and improve their lives through work.”
Culture Change Takes Courage
Changing entrenched narratives requires courage and time. Casinader shares the story of Daniel Rockhouse, one of two survivors of New Zealand’s Pike River mine explosion. Years later, Rockhouse returned underground, determined not to be defined by tragedy.
“His story reached half a million New Zealanders,” Casinader says. “Most didn’t work in mining, but the message was universal: we can’t change what happened, but we can choose how we move forward.”
For safety leaders, the takeaway is clear: courageous storytelling creates permission. When senior executives share their own experiences – professional or personal – they signal that openness is safe. “When leaders get personal, they give others permission,” Casinader says. “Most think people already have that permission. They don’t.”
The Role of Middle Management
Hight references another podcast guest who described middle management as the “derailing layer” – where culture change often stalls.
McGuigan agrees this is a common challenge: “Many middle managers are there to keep the status quo. Our CEO tells us to try things, fail fast, and learn. Safety has to enable business, not block it.” That reframing from “safety police” to business partners is essential.
“We’re compliance leaders, yes,” McGuigan says, “but we’re also there to unlock barriers. We help things happen.”
When Data Meets Narrative
Casinader warns that organisations often “throw spaghetti at the wall” with endless initiatives – wellbeing, sustainability, diversity, neurodiversity.
“People can’t process it all,” he says. “They just want to know what you want them to focus on this month.” The solution? Integrate stories and align them with data. Celebrate wins, recognise teams, and use both metrics and moments.
McGuigan stresses: “A simple thank-you can mean as much as a global newsletter feature. Recognition builds momentum.” Heathrow Airport’s success in cutting injuries, Hight notes, came from sharing progress stories — giving early adopters confidence, which in turn drew in the sceptics. Storytelling, then, becomes a cultural feedback loop – translating numbers into meaning, and meaning back into motivation.
Telling the Story of Innovation
As PepsiCo experiments with AI-driven vehicle telematics, McGuigan describes a new kind of storytelling challenge – communicating why technology matters before resistance sets in. “Drivers thought cameras meant we’d be watching them. We had to explain what the tech was there to do — to protect them.”
Once people understood the “why,” acceptance followed. And as systems evolved from adaptive braking to fatigue alerts, those same drivers became advocates. “If we’d told the story earlier, we wouldn’t have had rejection,” he says.
For safety leaders adopting new tech, that’s a powerful lesson: the story you tell determines the success of the system.
From Lagging to Leading
McGuigan believes one of the biggest mindset shifts is moving from reactive to proactive measurement.
“Lagging indicators tell you what’s happened — collisions, injuries. Leading indicators tell you how you’re preventing them.”
Tracking hours of training, engagement, or near-miss stories may not show immediate ROI — but over time, it strengthens trust and reduces harm. “You may never see the benefit of your work,” he says. “Because the event you prevented didn’t happen. And that’s the point.”
Connecting Safety to Business Value
When leaders see safety storytelling purely as compliance, they miss its strategic power. Casinader summarises: “Boards care about morale, retention, reputation, productivity. Those are all influenced by safety culture.”
Hight adds: “Reducing harm isn’t just good for regulation or wellbeing. It affects insurance costs, staff engagement, and turnover — all core business metrics.” The more safety leaders can connect stories of culture improvement to these tangible outcomes, the more credibility and influence they gain in the boardroom.
The New Narrative of Safety Leadership
At its heart, storytelling in safety is about honesty and influence – the twin currencies of modern leadership. McGuigan puts it simply: “Be honest with yourself and your business. If people don’t believe you, they won’t support you.” Casinader adds: “If you can’t influence how people think and feel, you’ll never influence what they do.” The path to a proactive safety culture isn’t paved with more policies. It’s built on stories that connect hearts to purpose, and purpose to performance.
Key Takeaways for Safety Leaders
- Start with narrative, not behaviour. Change the story before the system.
- Use the four elements of story — character, journey, conflict, jeopardy — to bring safety to life.
- Get personal. Authentic vulnerability builds trust and permission.
- Tailor stories to different audiences. What resonates with a CEO won’t move a field engineer.
- Celebrate wins and share ownership. Culture shifts when people see their impact.
- Integrate with other narratives. Align safety with wellbeing, sustainability, and brand.
- Tell the story of prevention. The best proof of success may be what didn’t happen.
