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The 2006 International System Safety Conference (ISSC) is now history. The long hours and hard work contributed by the conference committee — and many other volunteers — are just memories. But they are good memories, especially for all of us that benefited from attending one of the most successful conferences in Society history. No conference is perfect but I heard so many good things about this year's ISSC that I cannot help but declare it a total success.
What makes a conference successful? There are a number of things that I could mention. The venue is always important. Albuquerque, a beautiful southwest city, offered many unique attractions for our members. The host hotel was perfect for our needs, and the staff was responsive and courteous. Local restaurants offered menus filled with wonderful New Mexican cuisine, and what can I say about the weather? Coming from 100-degree (F) heat in Alabama, it was great to experience the 80-degree (F) temperatures in Albuquerque. Even the rain was a welcome relief for me.
All of these things helped to make the Conference successful, but the most significant contributor to its success was its leadership. Paul Kryska (Conference Chair) and Gerry Einarsson (Co-Chair) led a super group of Conference volunteers in making sure that each attendee had every opportunity to network with fellow professionals and to gain valuable insights into system safety opportunities that will benefit Society members, their companies and our Society in general for years to come. As the Conference Committee demonstrated, success comes from great leadership.
Now, it's our time to show leadership in making the world a safe place to work and live. Everyone who attended the Conference is a leader in my book. You are the cream of the crop. Your interest in system safety and your desire to learn and share your knowledge with others means that our world is in good hands. Success comes from great leadership.
There are many characteristics of great leaders. Studies have been done and papers have been written. I have personally read many of them. I won't bore you with what I think, but I will share with you three characteristics that I observed from the leaders of our 2006 Conference. Great leaders are aware of what is going on around them. They see the big picture and work to make it happen. Great leaders take advantage of the opportunity to make a difference. They lead by example. Great leaders adapt to change. Things don't always go as planned, but great leaders meet the challenge.
I encourage each member of the System Safety Society to use leadership as a tool for success. Be aware of what is going on in your environment. Take advantage of the opportunities before you. Be willing to adapt to change. Success and leadership go hand in hand.
— Larry W. Jones
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