The Centre for Army Leadership Podcast

Episode 42 - Cognitive Diversity in Teams - Brigadier Jaish Mahan

In this episode we speak to Brigadier Jaish Mahan, who commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in 1994 and has served in roles spanning the medical profession. He has deployed on seven operational tours, including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, the Iraq war and Afghanistan three times. Brigadier Mahan has been an Army Reservist since his transition from the Regular Army in 2016, and was Deputy Commander (Reserves) 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, before taking up his current position as Deputy Commander (Reserves) 1st UK Division. 

 

Drawing from his experiences, Brigadier Mahan emphasised the importance of consistent and stable values and highlighted integrity as the pre-eminent one, due to the importance of creating trust between leaders and their teams. He also comments on how a leadership intervention can be pivotal in altering the dynamic of a team and the situation, and how establishing relationships with teams wider than your own, early on, can increase support later. He acknowledges the power of facilitating cognitive diversity in teams, allowing individuals and teams to find their own way using empowered delegation - a concept that the British Army recognises as Mission Command. 

The Human Advantage Ep 20 - Improving Organisational Culture - Lieutenant Colonel Simon Farebrother MC

In this episode we speak with Lieutenant Colonel Simon Farebrother MC. Simon commissioned in 2001 into the Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) - a light cavalry regiment that specialises in reconnoissance. He served on operations on Op BANNER in Northern Ireland, on Op HERRICK in Afghanistan, and on Op TELIC in Iraq. His troop was attached to 3 Commando Brigade during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, for which Simon was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry.

Away from regimental duty, he was a Troop Leader at the Army Training Unit in Winchester. He later taught newly promoted Majors on the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land) at Shrivenham, before attending the Advanced Command and Staff Course himself. He later commanded the Army Foundation College at Harrogate throughout the COVID pandemic, and is now Deputy Chief of Staff at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).

 

In this episode we learn how the partnership between officers and non-commissioned officers is vital to the Army's performance, and how the organisational culture we create as leaders determines the way people integrate and behave.

The Human Advantage Ep.19 - Turning vision into action - Major Daljinder Singh Virdee MBE

In this episode we speak to Major Daljinder Singh Virdee MBE. Major Virdee commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps in 2015 as a pharmacist Professionally Qualified Reserve Officer. Following regimental duty with 256 Field Hospital, he re-roled as a Medical Support Officer and went into full-time Reserve service (FTRS). He has since worked in staff roles at Headquarters Regional command, generating forces for deployments and policy and guidance to aid in community engagement and recruiting. Along the way, he developed engagement guides with certain British communities, and codified the dress code for Sikh soldiers. 

This episode explores the power of staff work in cultural change and the challenges of teamwork and leadership in the policy environment. We also consider the opportunities for the learning of leadership in the British Army, which is otherwise omitted based on assumption of understanding in some civilian occupations.

The Human Advantage Ep.18 - Being Courageous in Conversations - Lieutenant Tess Morris-Paterson

In this episode we speak to Doctor and CAL Senior Research Fellow, Lieutenant Tess Morris-Paterson PhD, about what we can learn from her experience in the selection, training, and preparation of astronauts for space flight, and how some of those skills can be applied in a military context to her experience as a Troop commander with 135 Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers.

Lt Morris-Paterson joined the Army Reserve in 2018 and completed trade training as a combat engineer before commissioning as an officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In her civilian career, Tess has worked in elite and professional sport for twelve years, working with Olympic and Paralympic athletes as well as those, in the Premier League and Formula1. In 2019 she began working in Human space flight, culminating in a stint at NASA's Ames Research Centre. Tess obtains a PhD in aerospace physiology, and founded her own company, AstroPerform, which specialises in the selection and training of astronauts for space flight.  She draws on her experience to highlight the importance of attacking difficult conversations, as soon as possible, and the significance of efficiently providing emotionally intelligent feedback at all levels. 

Episode 41 - The Sporting Edge: Building High Performing Teams - Jeremy Snape

In this episode we speak to former England cricketer, coach and now performance psychologist, Jeremy Snape. Jeremy's cricketing and coaching success at the highest levels proceeded a career which has branched out into performance psychology in other sports and the business world to. He offers a captivating perspective on how leadership is about doing the right thing, which is well aligned to the Army's perspective of leadership, grounded in our Values and Standards. Jeremy's moment of inspiration, driving him on to the path of leadership development and performance psychology actually came from a moment of failure on his part, from a mistake on a single ball during a high-profile match. Jeremy also spoke about the value of when to analyse difficult moments and when to rely on instinct to get you through, and the skill involved in recognising which approach to use when - something the Army recognise as situational leadership; matching the right leadership style and skills to the people that need leading in a particular moment.

 

To follow Jeremy on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jeremysnape Explore Sporting Edge: www.sportingedge.com                                          For his podcast: https://shorturl.at/iKPS3 

The Human Advantage Ep.17 - Building trust through communication - Lieutenant Colonel Liz Kagoda

In this episode Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Lieutenant Colonel Liz Kagoda of the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps. Lt Col Kagoda trained and qualified as an emergency nurse in the National Health Service, prior to commissioning in 2005 and has since worked at roles 1-4 across the medical support spectrum. She has delivered everything from immediate life-saving measures in the field, through to long term care at military hospitals back in the UK, as well as deploying twice on Op TELIC in Iraq and three times on Op HERRICK in Afghanistan. Her experience spans from roles such as team leader to officer in charge of the emergency department. She was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2020, and has since focused on governance and assurance for both firm-based and deploying unit personnel. She is currently SO1 Clinical Operations at 2 Medical Brigade, in Yorkshire. This episode outlines how individuals switch between leadership and followership dependent on context, and how leaders require trust and communication to occasionally step back and allow their teams to deliver a task. 

Episode 40 - Moral Terrain Coaching & Empathy - US Army Major Ben Ordiway & Lt Colonel Kevin Cutright

In this episode, we speak to US Army Major Ben Ordiway and Lt Colonel Kevin Cutright, based at the United States Military Academy at Westpoint. We discuss their developing concepts of Moral Terrain Coaching and how to consider empathy towards our adversary to gain an operational advantage. Both concepts are fundamentally important when the stakes are high, and for leaders to make time to engage with, train and practice the practical execution of morals, ethics and empathy if we are to prevail against our enemies, but also to protect our own forces. At its most basic level, there can be positive tactical advantages gained from being increasingly empathetic towards adversaries by understanding and anticipating them better, and being able to defeat them in more nuanced ways. 

The Human Advantage Ep.15 - Op PITTING - Major Chris Duncalfe & WO2 Adam Croucher

In this episode, we speak to Major Chris Duncalfe and WO2 Adam Croucher about their experience during the Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) of Kabul - Operation PITTING, while in their respective roles of Officer Commanding (OC) and Company Sergeant Major (CSM) of A Company, 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

Op PITTING marked the end of 20 years of British military involvement in Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban following the Al Qaeda attacks in the United States in September 2001. We explore how they prepared their Company in the lead up to likely operations, and speak about their insertion into the country and how the operation progressed. We explore the challenges of the operation from a junior leadership perspective, as well as how intent based leadership (or Mission Command) plays a major factor in fostering responsibility, judgement, adaptability and empowerment of others within the team. Finally, we explore the notion of leading by example, particularly when difficult moral decisions must be made, and the utility of responsible challenge and intelligent disobedience in the face of a dynamic and rapidly changing operational situation.

Episode 39 - Tony Adams MBE - Leading Through Addiction

In this episode, we speak to Tony Adams MBE, a football icon renowned for his remarkable contributions to Arsenal and the England national team. Tony's career spans playing at the pinnacle of the sport, where he not only showcased his prowess on the field but also in his captaincy for England. Beyond his playing days, he undertook a coaching and managerial journey that transcended international borders.

Yet, among the triumphs in both playing and management, we delve into the poignant moments of Tony's life - specifically, his challenges with alcohol addiction and mental health. Our discussion navigates the complexities of Tony's leadership approach, both on the pitch and throughout his personal life. We examine how he effectively managed the relentless pressures inherent in leading at the highest echelons of the sport, offering a profound insight into the resilience required to navigate such a demanding and spotlighted career.

The Human Advantage Ep.14 - Leading Without Authority - Sergeant Mo Faye

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhwardwaj speaks to Sergeant Mo Faye about the importance of ownership over outputs and how soft skills in leaders are hugely valued by followers during periods of training and change. Sergeant Mo Faye was born and raised in Gambia and joined the British Army's Staff and Personnel Support Branch, the Adjutant Generals Corps (AGC, SPS) in 2001. He was then attached to the rifle companies of infantry regiments as a junior HR specialist and admin junior Non Commissioned Officer. As a corporal he administered Officer Cadets at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, before working with the Irish Guards and NATO in the Middle East. As a Sergeant Mo is now the systems coordinator at the Army Medical Service's support unit. Mo has deployed across the world on exercise and on operations and has been awarded the Queen's Commendation for value of service and the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe's Coin. He is also the founder of the Juwara Charity.