Many construction safety professionals are proficient at the technical concepts of organizational safety initiatives and OSHA compliance but lack the leadership skills to adequately convey the benefits of safety in a language that other members of their organization will appreciate. The safety professional's ability to navigate the complexities of difficult conversations has a significant impact on his/her ability to successfully overcome resistance to safety initiatives. This presentation explores the common misconceptions and mistakes made by safety professionals in their efforts to lead beyond compliance and develop best practices in construction safety. Most of these situations can be diffused early in the conversation if the safety professional is aware of the conversational warning signs. There are clear and simple techniques to address each warning sign and restore the conversation back to free exchange thoughts and ideas without confrontation. Safety leaders must be aware of the difficulties of interactions and communication. Leading beyond compliance-based safety is built upon the concept that we are not adversarial in this struggle, but rather willing participants, advocates of safe work practices. A toolbox with one only one tool in it cannot repair every problem. Only through mutual respect and relationship building can safety professionals go beyond threats of OSHA fines and safety violation write-ups and build an effective safety culture.