What can Legal IT leaders learn from a Royal Navy submariner, England Rugby and British Fencing?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
In this episode of Team Talk, Sherry Bevan is joined by Dusty Miller, Head of Performance and Performance Coaching at British Fencing. With more than 35 years' experience across the military, elite sport and leadership, Dusty shares the principles that underpin high-performing teams, whatever the environment.
Together they explore why teams work at the speed of trust, the importance of creating a culture of continuous learning, and how leaders can build teams that thrive under pressure.
We also discuss:
- Why curiosity is one of a leader's greatest strengths.
- What the Royal Navy taught Dusty about personal leadership and teamwork.
- How trust is built through care, clarity and transparency.
- Why healthy challenge helps teams perform at their best.
- The role of succession planning in creating sustainable success.
- Why values should be lived every day—not left gathering dust in a drawer.
- What leaders can learn from elite sport, whether they're leading athletes or IT professionals.
Throughout the conversation, Dusty shares practical insights that are just as relevant to Legal IT leaders and professional services as they are to elite athletes.
Whether you're leading a project team, managing technical specialists or building a high-performing culture, you'll come away with ideas you can put into practice immediately.
Important links:
- British Fencing website
- Dusty Miller on LinkedIn
- The Royal Navy Field Gun competition world record set by Devonport on YouTube
About the guest:
Dusty Miller has spent more than 35 years shaping high-performance teams across military, sport and business environments.
Following a distinguished Royal Navy career, he joined England Rugby ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where he introduced an innovative "theming" approach that strengthened team identity and connection to the heritage of English Rugby.
Today, as Head of Performance (Olympic) at British Fencing, he leads performance strategy and multidisciplinary support systems to deliver world-class results on the international stage.
Known for his warm, engaging and thought-provoking style, Dusty quickly builds trust through humour, empathy and insightful challenge.
His expertise lies in creating cohesive teams, shaping high-performance cultures and turning ambitious goals into sustainable success.
Driven by a passion for unlocking potential, Dusty helps individuals and organisations move from good to great through lasting, meaningful change.
About the host:
Sherry Bevan believes that high-performing teams start with confident leadership.
Before becoming a Leadership Consultant, she spent more than 25 years working alongside technology teams, including in organisations such as McDermott Will & Emery, Credit Suisse and Arthur Andersen. That experience gives her a deep understanding of the challenges facing today's IT leaders, particularly within law firms.
Through her consultancy, coaching and leadership development programmes, Sherry combines commercial understanding with honest conversations, skilled facilitation and practical leadership support to help leaders build confident, high-performing teams.
A former racing cyclist and lifelong sports enthusiast, Sherry is fascinated by what enables teams to perform under pressure. That's why Team Talk goes behind the headlines to speak with the coaches, performance directors, and leaders who create the environments where success becomes possible.
Because whether it's a law firm, an IT department or an elite sporting environment, great results rarely happen by accident. They happen when leaders create the conditions for people to perform at their best.
Connect with Sherry:
- Sign up for news and updates
- Apply to join the Team Culture Club
- Connect on LinkedIn
- Visit Sherry Bevan's website
