The era is the all-knowing, all-powerful heroic leader has come to an end, according to Polly Labarre.
Labarre kicked off Safety 2018, the annual conference of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), in San Antonio.
"We really do live in a world that is ruled by mavericks," she said. "Creativity is fundamentally subversive in nature."
While safety and being a maverick may not seem to go together, this is not the case. Safety leaders should encourage creativity as a start to mobilize workers to do great things.
"As a leader today, you have to assume you're not in charge," she said. "Power and influence should come from what you contribute, not your position."
In order to have innovation and adaptability within an organization, there are five "maverick" rules that should be followed. Labarre explained these rules that can be found by clicking through the slideshow.