Leaders Now with Ray Lock CBE, chaired by Anna Wright, Naval Families Federation CEO and Clore Social Leadership Fellow

What an honour to hear from such well-respected leaders from the armed forces and service charities sector.

A retired Royal Air Force pilot and commander, Ray Lock imparted key learnings from leading pivotal operations throughout his extensive military career. It however did not stop there. On his retirement from the Royal Air Force as an air vice-marshal in 2012, he joined the Forces in Mind Trust as Chief Executive.

This blend of experience from two quite distinct sectors was eye-opening to say the least. Most of us are all too aware of their associated stereotypes of leadership; the military sector steeped in authority with formal debriefings, versus a charity sector enveloped in collaboration with an informal open-door policy.

Remember, I said, “stereotype”. There is a tendency for military charities to mirror the military sector, and we know that collaboration isn’t always rife in the charity sector.

Discussions were lively and diverse but the emerging theme was hard to miss. Whichever sector, whether dealing with heroic or compassionate leaders, there still remains an uncertainty and sometimes fear of contradicting them.

Prompted by Anna and the audience, questions were discussed around:

• “How can a leader create a culture of listening?”
• “If your leader is not listening, what have you done to overcome that, in the face of a potential crisis?”
• “How do you deal with your leader’s mindset of ‘don’t tell me what I don’t want to hear’ to bring about greater change?”

 

As Leaders Now offers a safe space for the speaker, chair and audience, I am not at liberty to divulge the valuable insights and stories shared. You’ll have to come to the next event for that gold.

We would like to thank Ray and Anna for offering a rare glimpse into their leadership journeys. Their generous leadership encouraged an atmosphere of vulnerability and openness.

Forces in Mind Trust partner with Clore Social Leadership on the Experienced Leader programme. For more information, please visit this page.

Blog by Nadia Alomar, Clore Social Leadership's Director of Marketing and External Relations.