General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO (Podcast 126), former Chief of the
General Staff, sadly died in 2024. A few months earlier I had corresponded
with him. He was terminally ill with cancer, yet you would not have known
it from his upbeat manner. Mike was a character; calm, collected and
resolute, especially in moments of high stakes. His leadership was defined
by resilience, moral clarity, and refusal to be cowed by pressure.
During the Kosovo conflict in 1999, as Commander of NATOʹs Kosovo
Force, he clashed with U.S. General Wesley Clark over an order to seize
Pristina airport – a move he deemed strategically unsound, and dangerously escalatory
given the presence of Russian forces. When told to block
the runway, Mike famously refused, telling Clark:
“Iʹm not going to start the Third World War for you.”
His refusal stood, the situation was resolved diplomatically, and his ability
to speak Russian smoothed a fraught moment. It was a masterclass in strategic
judgement and moral courage – doing the right thing even when it
was hard.
Mike said:
ʺNever let setbacks break you. In the face of adversity, stay calm,
assess the situation and make the best decision you can with the
information you have. Itʹs about having the courage to do the right
thing, even when itʹs difficult.ʺ
General Mike showed impressive reserves of resilience.
It gave him the strength to face intense pressure and high stakes with composure and
moral clarity, the true hallmarks of resilient leadership.