The Leadership That Makes or Breaks a Turnaround

In the World of Turnarounds, Leadership Isn’t Optional: It’s Everything

When it comes to plant shutdowns and turnarounds, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Every hour counts. Every task matters. Every decision impacts safety, quality, cost, and schedules. In this pressure-cooker environment, one thing determines whether a turnaround succeeds or spirals out of control: leadership.

Turnarounds aren’t just about timelines and targets. They’re about people. They’re about how leaders show up when the heat is on, how they communicate, how they prioritize, how they keep teams focused when chaos creeps in. While strategy, scheduling, and tools matter, it’s how leaders lead that determines whether people go home safe, the work gets done right, and the project stays on track.

The Hard Truth? Most Frontline Leaders Haven’t Been Trained for This.

We ask them to:

• Keep teams safe under intense time pressure.
• Manage rotating crews with different standards.
• Communicate clearly when schedules change by the hour.
• Model trust and accountability in the face of mounting risk.

And yet, many were promoted because they excelled in their trade, not because they had been trained to lead. That’s a gap we can’t afford to ignore, especially when people’s safety, project outcomes, and millions of dollars are at stake.

Why TAP Built LEVEL UP: Turnaround Safety Leadership

We designed this program for one purpose: to support and elevate the leadership performance of front-line supervisors in high-pressure shutdown events across Canada’s energy sector. Our one-day immersive training was created by people who’ve lived it, who understand that strong leadership during a turnaround isn’t just nice to have, it’s the linchpin of safety, quality, and execution.

What Front-line Leaders Learn:

L – Lead With Influence: Set the tone for safety and quality by modelling what outstanding leadership looks like under pressure.

E – Establish Trust Fast: Create trust quickly with rotating crews through consistency, clarity, and safe behaviours.

V – Value Your Crew: Engage, support, and motivate the modern workforce, even in compressed, high-stress timelines.

E – Execute the Plan: Give clear direction, communicate priorities effectively, and drive execution without confusion or delay.

L – Lead Yourself: Stay personally accountable and clear-headed, especially when demands are high and time is tight.

U – Understand Pressure: Make smart calls under pressure, address non-negotiables head-on, and model calm in the chaos.

P – Practice Accountability: End every shift, task, and turnaround with accountability, review, recalibrate, and recommit with purpose.

Why It Matters to Alberta’s Energy Sector

With Alberta at the heart of Canada’s energy production, we understand the unique intensity of working in this sector. Regulatory pressure is increasing. Timelines are tightening. Talent gaps are widening. And more than ever, success requires more than technical execution; it demands emotionally intelligent, high-impact leadership.

Canada is removing barriers to doing business. That means new competition, higher expectations, and less room for error. What gives your organization a competitive edge? The ability to lead turnarounds with skill, empathy, and consistency.

Why Clients Choose TAP

We’ve worked with thousands of leaders across Canada and are trusted by industrial clients for a reason: We don’t offer theory. We train for the realities of the job site. We help your people lead better, faster, and safer, with tools that work in the moment, not just in the classroom.

If you’re leading shutdowns or high-pressure turnarounds and want:

• Better crew coordination
• Lower safety incidents
• Fewer delays
• Increased accountability
• Higher morale and engagement

...then it’s time to LEVEL UP your front line leadership.

Let’s talk about how we can help you deliver the safest, highest-quality turnaround your site has ever seen.