In conversation with Nick Ferrari, Sir Mike offered a sobering concept of leadership.
Unlike leaders in the business world – for whom risk is essential – a military man’s prime duty is to do everything humanly possible to minimize risk, in order to protect his personnel.
The features Sir Mike looks for in a military leader are integrity, physical and moral courage, good judgement and the ability to learn from others. Getting staff to say what they really think is difficult in a hierarchical organisation, but relations between military ranks are more informal today than they have been in the past, he added.
More generally, developing more open and trusting relationships is part of leadership.
Judie Lannon, editor of The Marketing Society’s quarterly journal, Market Leader, was reporting on our Annual Conference for Warc.