Reflections on Command and Decision Making
I had the privilege of commanding at three levels in the Army – troop (twice!), squadron, and regiment. I’ve also observed senior officers in command...
Category : People and Leadership
Don’t be SMART – objective setting in Defence
Defence has reinvigorated its existing approach to annual appraisals, underlining objective setting as the key mechanism to frame and evaluate individual performance. But in relying...
#WavellReviews “The Blind Strategist: John Boyd and the American Art of War” by Stephen Robinson
What could be more dangerous than accepting the efficacy of our own doctrine as observed fact, when it might actually be formed of unevidenced opinion...
More range or more Rangers – the fight for the future of the British Army.
In 2015 the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, stated that the British Army had ‘bent [itself] significantly out of shape from...
Junior Leadership During Covid 19
The word ‘unprecedented’ has been used so much to describe the last 18 months that it has almost started to lose all meaning. But there...
#ChoosetoChallenge2022 Update
On the 8 March 2021, International Women’s Day, we launched our #ChoosetoChallenge21 call for papers. We want to use the Wavell Room as a platform...
A New Model Army for a Miserable Century
TL:DR The British Armed Forces lack a clear vision and positive sense of purpose. I will explain how the world shall change over the coming...
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
TL:DR I have 2 propositions: firstly, the British Armed Forces’ understanding of leadership is seriously limited; and secondly, in light of restructuring following the Integrated...
My Wife, the Scientist and the Decision Maker
Military professionals are decision makers and to do that well, they need to be able to employ a variety of different decision making techniques. Can...
Should “Jack” Be Allowed to Lead All Trades
Typically, within Defence, leaders are selected from their trade. Classic examples would include an infantry company commander or an engineer squadron commander. However, within joint...