Episode 313: In this episode of the Safety Leadership Collective, Merle Heckman joins hosts Nicholas Coia and Mike Thompson to discuss the overlooked art of listening and how it shapes leadership, safety culture, and trust. Merle shares practical techniques—asking questions, pausing, and putting ego aside—to influence others and create real change.

They explore examples from sports, business, and frontline work, and end with a simple call to action: practice focused listening for one week to begin building stronger connections at work and home.

Connect with Merle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merleheckman/

For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 314: In this episode, Mike Thompson sits down with Executive Coach, Gary Fowler, to explore why EQ is one of the most important skills for building safer workplaces, stronger leaders, and healthier organizational cultures.

Together, they break down what emotional intelligence really means and why it directly impacts communication, trust, performance, and employee well being. Gary shares compelling research showing that every one point increase in EQ can translate into an average $1,300 increase in income, highlighting the measurable value of emotionally intelligent leadership.

The conversation introduces practical frameworks including SNAP, CUT, SCARF, and the clarity, capacity, ability, and desire lens to help leaders recognize emotional threats, de escalate conflict, improve decision making, and better support their teams in high pressure environments.

Mike and Gary also discuss simple but powerful ways to begin strengthening emotional intelligence every day through greater presence, meditation, movement, nutrition, journaling, quality sleep, and self awareness practices. The episode concludes with actionable next steps, including a free EQ assessment and ways to connect with Gary for coaching and leadership development support.

If you are committed to improving safety, leadership, culture, and human performance in your organization, this conversation offers practical tools and inspiring insights you can begin applying immediately.

To learn more about Gary, check out his website at: https://www.thegaryfowler.com/

For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 312: This explores the alarming rise in distracted driving—over 3,200 deaths and 315,000 serious injuries in 2024—and discusses practical steps employers and drivers can take to prevent crashes.

Host Nicholas Coia and guest Tracy LeMaire from the National Safety Council share data, real-world examples, policy and training solutions, and free resources to help organizations protect employees on and off the road.

For more information about the National Safety Council, please visit their website at: https://www.nsc.org/

For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/