What Changed First Was Me

Drawing on 25 years of global safety leadership, Claus Rose challenges traditional approaches to workplace safety and reveals why lasting change starts with leadership. What Changed First Was Me offers practical insights for closing the gap between perception and reality to build stronger, safer workplace cultures.

“On a personal note, I’d like to say that the coaching strategies outlined in this book are quite relevant outside the QEHS sector, and I’ve experienced many ‘aha’ moments while reading—thinking of my field, education. In this case, the office executives are replaced by senior administration, and the frontline workers are the teachers. I’ve worn both shoes, so your words resonate on many levels.”

Matthew Krasner — Editor

“Hello Claus, after yesterday’s conference I’ve already read your book, and honestly every leader should read it. I will pass it to my team and all the leads around.”

Nina Wolnik — Factory S&H Manager, Nestlé

HARD-WON LESSONS LEADING BEYOND COMPLIANCE

Most enterprise safety programs fail because of a critical perception gap between executive boardrooms and operational frontlines. Drawing on more than 25 years leading QEHS transformations at Siemens and GE, Claus Rose provides a battle-tested, behavioral framework that replaces bureaucratic compliance theater with genuine psychological safety, trust, and zero-harm execution.

Why humans make 3-6 mistakes per hour: and why punishment only drives hazards underground
The 66-day rule for enduring, measurable culture change
How to permanently bridge the perception gap between executive leadership and the shop floor
Why 47-page risk assessments generate administrative illusion instead of genuine safety
The financial business case that turns cost-conscious CFOs into active safety champions
How predictive AI is converting safety organizations from reactive triage to pre-emptive prevention
The operational CARE framework: Courage, Adaptability, Relationships, and Empathy

This book is for:

C-Suite Executives & Operations Directors seeking sustainable performance beyond vanity compliance
QEHS Leaders determined to replace regulatory paperwork with predictive, trust-based systems
Plant Managers & Operations Supervisors looking for human-centered communication tools that work
Corporate Board Members requiring proactive risk governance that protects both staff and enterprise value