In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to WO1 David Hird, the Command Sergeant Major of the Land Warfare Centre (LWC). He enlisted into the Royal Engineers in 1997, joining 35 Engineer Regiment before moving on to Engineer Search Teams, completing his trade training at 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment in Chatham, and passing All Arms Parachute selection. He has served on Op BANNER in Northern Ireland, Op HERRICK 5 and 11 in Afghanistan, Op TELLICK 9 in Iraq, as well as Op OLYMPIC and exercises all over the world. He instructed at 3 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment at Minley as a Section Commander, and as a Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor in Combat Engineering Recognisance. He was Squadron Sergeant Major of 17 Field Squadron Explosive Ordinance Disposal and Search (EOD), and Regimental Sergeant Major at 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment. He assumed the role of Command Sergeant Major at the Land Warfare Centre (LWC) in Warminster in April 2021. In this conversation, WO1 David Hird reflects on how his leadership style has needed to evolve in order to keep pace with the changing requirements of a more professional Army, and how good Mentorship helped him build more productive relationships with those in positions of command.

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to WO2 Colin Russell who enlisted into the Royal Scots Dragon Guards (SCOTS DG) and trained on the British Army's Main Battle Tank the Challenger 2. He served on 2 tours of OP TELLICK In Iraq before moving to the Queen's Royal Hussars (QRH) as a corporal. AS a Sergeant he commanded a QRH multiple in the light infantry role in Afghanistan on OP HERRICK 15. He has been a sergeant instructor at the Heavy Armour Wing, a Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant and was a lethality survivability subject matter expert on the development of the British Army's new armoured vehicle, Ajax. In this conversation, WO2 Colin Russell reflects on the power and proffesional competence of leadership, acknowledging your mistakes and some unexpected benefits of the discipline procedures.

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Major Charlie Lee, who was commissioned into the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR) in 2006. After Rifle Platoon Command, he deployed on HERRICK 15 in Afghanistan in 2011 as part of the Police Advisory Team. He returned to Battalion as Officer Commanding of the Mortar Platoon, then Battalion Operations Officer. After Staff College and various Staff Officer roles, he took on Sub Unit command of the Second Battalion PWRR, operating in the Specialised Infantry role with operational tours in East Africa. He is currently the Chief Instructor for the Senior Term at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In this conversation, Major Lee reveals how his early mistakes made him explore the balance between being liked and respected and the application of loyalty and integrity to others and the chain of command.

In this episode, our host, Captain Ash Bhardwaj, speaks to Lieutenant Colonel Dean Canham OBE, SO1 Centre for Army Leadership. This conversation with Colonel Dean is a raw and honest insight into the realities of leadership on kinetic operations, and dealing with the consequence of your decisions.

CONTENT WARNING: In this episode, we cover the topics of the deaths of soldiers on operations, improvised explosive devices, and dealing with the trauma of those tragedies. If these topics are difficult for you to hear about, you may want to skip this episode. It is totally natural that the examples given in this episode may affect you, and you may find it useful to speak with someone about how you feel. You can find a range of support resources at the Army's Ask for Help page linked at the bottom of these show notes.

Commissioning in 2000 into the 1st Battalion Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, the then Second Lieutenant Canham joined the Regiment on their residential tour of Northern Ireland. He deployed to Sierra Leone on Op SILKMAN and to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK 1 as a Reconnaissance Platoon Commander. Later, he returned to Helmand on Op HERRICK 6 as the Battlegroup Operations Officer. He then Commanded A (Grenadier) Company of the 2nd Battalion the MERCIAN Regiment on Op HERRICK 15, also deploying to the Falklands and leading the 2 MERCIAN contingent at the London 2012 Olympic Games. He took command of 1 MERCIAN Regiment in 2020, and led the Battlegroup in Estonia on Op CABRIT 8 in 2021. He has worked at the Army Personnel Centre (APC) Glasgow, Army Headquarters and the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), where he was awarded an OBE for his work in support of operations in South Sudan and Somalia. He has instructed at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, the Platoon Commander's Division at Brecon, and on the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (ICSC) at Shrivenham. He now heads up the Centre for Army Leadership, based at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).

The British Army's Ask for Help Page: https://www.army.mod.uk/people/health-wellbeing-welfare-support/health-performance-and-wellbeing-in-the-army/managing-stress/ask-for-help/

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Warrant Officer Class 1 Jon O'Neill about the importance of honesty and vulnerability in building trust within teams. He reflects on how adopting a more 'coaching' approach to your leadership style is by far the best way of developing others. Joining the Army in 1999, Jon joined the 2nd Batallion, the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (2 PWRR). He has served the majority of his career in Light-Role Infantry Companies, holding every appointment from Signaller to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), deploying to Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was RSM of both 2 PWRR and the Mission Ready Training Centre (MRTC), preparing individuals for deployments overseas, before working with the Specialised Infantry Training Group in North and East Africa. He was also an instructor at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Catterick, and at the Infantry Battle School on the Platoon Commander's Course. His enthusiasm for all things training and development led him to his current role as the Command Sergeant Major of Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command (ARITC).

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to the British Army's most senior soldier - the Army Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Paul Carney. He joined the Army as a Combat Engineer in 1997 and has served on operations in Macedonia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His junior and senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) appointments were spread between Close Support Armoured Engineering and General Support Engineering. He was the Squadron Sergeant Major of 20 Field Squadron in 36 Engineer Regiment, Regimental Sergeant Major at 22 Engineer Regiment, and the Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd (UK) Division. WO1 Carney has instructed Troop Commanders and Sergeants in both demolition and bridging at the Royal Engineer Warfare Wing, and has attended the Intimidate Command and Staff Course (Land) as a WO1. In this interview, we explore the changes in leadership approach as a soldier moves through the ranks, ultimately distilling 25 years of leadership into the phrase 'knowing your people'.

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Major James (Jim) Beckett about the process of enabling change within culture and performance by giving teams the space to experiment. Recognising the importance of honesty and humility in leadership Jim also spoke about the need for leaders to display vulnerability in admitting mistakes to encourage others within the team to do the same - a hallmark of high-performing and rapidly learning teams. Commissioning into the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR) in 2010, deploying on Operation Herrick 15 in 2011 as a Battlefield Casualty Replacement (BCR). On returning to the UK, he took command of the Reconnaissance Platoon before becoming an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). Following time spect within MoD London and the Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) before taking over sub-unit command within the 2nd Battalion PWRR, overseeing their re-badging to the 2nd Battalion the Ranger Regiment.

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Colonel Hannah Stoy, who was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 2001. She went on to command 30 Signal Regiment and the Queen's Gurkha Signals. She is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel in HQ Field Army where she remains passionate about her family-first approach to leadership. She is also the co-chair of the Army Service Women's Network. Colonel Hannah provides a frank and insightful insight into the value of time and how we, as leaders, can choose to spend it wisely investing in relationships to help create a culture of healthy communication between the team.

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Major Luke Turrell, who shares his experience of finishing training and deploying straight to operations in Iraq in a different role to what he had been trained for, without spending any time at his regiment before deploying. Now the Executive Officer at the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR), the independent think tank for the British Army, he is trying to make sure we understand the conceptual component of fighting power. He's also the first to admit that his leadership style has evolved dramatically over time.

The leadership challenges Luke has faced over his career range from taking over an already established team in an operational environment, to commanding a sub unit in a regiment that was due to be disbanded. Luke explains what he has learned about leadership from subordinates and seniors alike, both in the field and in barracks, starting with a dramatic birth announcement, to leadership wisdom from Sean Connery's aide, via rocket attacks in Iraq.....

In this episode, our host Major David Love speaks to Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Kirkwood shares his experience of rising through the ranks in the Scots Guards to fulfilling the role of Academy Sergeant Major at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst - one of the most coveted appointments in the British Army.

He talks of his service in Afghanistan as a Sergeant, where,  following the unexpected wounding of his Platoon Commander, he quickly found himself in command of the Company’s lead Platoon as they faced a critical assault on the Taliban. He also focusing on the development of trust as the key ingredient to fostering effective teamwork, providing a personal insight into what makes the most effective leaders from his long and distinguished career.