The nuclear industry operates in a highly regulated, complex environment where even small mistakes can have serious consequences for safety, public perception, and regulatory compliance. First-Line Leaders—supervisors and managers new to leadership roles—play a pivotal part in mitigating operational risks and maintaining reliable plant performance. As these new leaders often make high-stakes decisions under time pressure, robust critical thinking and effective decision-making frameworks are crucial. We will explore Naturalistic Decision-Making (NDM) principles, macrocognition, High-Reliability Organization (HRO) theory, and the importance of psychological safety. We will also discuss how teamwork, accountability, transparency, continuous improvement, improved morale, and early error detection align with leadership development efforts, providing practical recommendations and concrete tables to guide implementation in nuclear facilities.
Macrocognition for New Leaders in Nuclear Power Plants