Category Archives: Leadership

Decision-Ready Information: The Modern Standard for Leadership in Complex Organizations

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Chet Brandon

Organizations are drowning in information and starving for judgment.

My latest article on LeadingEHS.com explores the concept of decision-ready information and compares it to the classic management discipline of completed staff work.

The core idea is simple: leaders do not need more dashboards, alerts, reports, or raw data. They need information that has been interpreted, contextualized, risk-ranked, and shaped into clear options and recommendations.

This discipline matters across EHS, sustainability, operations, cybersecurity, process safety, and enterprise governance. Whether we are dealing with AIoT signals, process safety data, ESG disclosures, or operational risk indicators, the challenge is the same:

-What is happening
-Why does it matter
-What could happen next
-What should we do?

Decision-ready information converts complexity into accountable leadership action. Continue reading →

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The Discipline of Space: What Miles Davis’ Music Continues to Teach Me

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Chet Brandon

Leadership is a personal journey. Clarity, inspiration, and insight do not come only from books, meetings, metrics, or formal training. They come from many parts of life—music, art, reflection, relationships, struggle, and the quiet moments that help us see ourselves more clearly.

My recent article reflects on how Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue continues to teach me about restraint, space, discipline, focus, and renewal.

Sometimes the lessons that shape us most arrive from unexpected places. Continue reading →

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Cyber-Physical Risk in the Age of AI: How Safety Professionals Help Directors Make Better Operational Technology Investment Decisions – Part 4

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Chet Brandon

As the final article in this four-part series, Fay Feeney and I bring the conversation into the boardroom. Operational technology is no longer just an engineering concern—it is a governance test. As AI-enabled assets reshape industrial operations, directors are approving new risk profiles, resilience assumptions, and value-creation models. Continue reading →

Posted in AI, Artificial Intelligence, EHS Management, enterprise risk management, Leadership, Machine Learning, Sustainability Leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Empowering Future Leaders: EHS Drives Business Success and Offers Rewarding Careers!

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Chet Brandon

You never know where your career journey will take you or how the connections you make will circle back in surprising and meaningful ways. Recently, I had the privilege of reconnecting with Fred Eilts, a fellow senior leader from my … Continue reading →

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Leadership 101: Positive Leaders Have a Healthy Dose of Skepticism Too

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Chet Brandon

One of the greatest pleasures of leadership is seeing those you lead succeed.  The more success that occurs, the better the team does.  However… in dynamic and complex situations things won’t always go as planned.  The experienced leader is always … Continue reading →

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Embodying the Ideal: Rooseveltian Americanism and the Pursuit of National Unity

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Chet Brandon

We, as Americans, and as a nation, are not fully living up to the revolutionary ideals upon which our republic was founded. This deeply concerns me, particularly the increasing cynicism among younger generations regarding our nation and their role in … Continue reading →

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High Flight Requires Risk

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Chet Brandon

The passing of two of the great aviation masters in the last few weeks started me thinking about what forges great people like them.  The Aerospace Icons I am discussing here are Bob Hoover and John Glenn.  Both made incredible … Continue reading →

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The Ace of Aces

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Chet Brandon

I enjoy reading about people who have accomplished remarkable things.  The biographies of their lives are very interesting to me.  What were their childhoods like?  How did the events come together that led to their success.  What struggles did they … Continue reading →

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The Beauty of the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Chet Brandon

The sun rises on a new year.  I can see fifty years old from here…  I have learned many things in my life, some from the career within it.  Time stands still for no one. Meaningful to me here is General … Continue reading →

Posted in Career Skills, Leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Leadership 101: Increase your Influence with Critical Questions

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Chet Brandon

As a staff member on the organizational chart, many EHS Pros don’t ask critical questions of line staff at decisive moments.  This is a missed opportunity to be influential during key decision making processes. By not constructively challenging the status-quo … Continue reading →

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