From Private Soldier to Senior Officer – Colonel Garry Hearn OBE – Inspiring leadership interview with Jonathan Bowman-Perks MBE

Colonel Garry Hearn OBE, Divisional Director UK Defence Academy – From Private Soldier to Colonel.

Garry Hearn is running a Masters Programme for all mid-level Army Officer (Majors) – focussing on strategic leadership trends in the world. Gary is Inspired at 3 levels – strategically & personally by Nelson Mandela. Then inspired at an operational level by his CO Colonel Roger Thompson R Signals who led him during The Falklands War, believed in him as a soldier & helped him become an Officer. Then tactically & personally inspired by one of his Majors on the course – John Parks who had a tough upbringing in a family of Irish Travellers & became an inspiring leader.

Top Leadership Tips – Leaders are everywhere Diversity of people gives diversity of thinking Mistakes & having the humility to learn from them. Example of poor decision and personal bias colouring his decision. John Adair’s: Task, Team & Individual Another example restructure organisation chart – “it’s perfect & therefore brittle because it’s not future proof”. Leadership is about others – getting them to do things to the best of their ability. Know your people really well.

Garry Hearn is a Colonel in the British Army he was recently responsible for the programme management of the UKs largest Defence Technical Training Transformation Programme, focussed on transforming training and through life learning for up to 40000 students per annum. He is now engaged in delivering leadership and professional learning to the Army’s emerging leaders. He is a CIS Engineer with over 35 years’ experience in a variety of military roles including, leading organisations, Strategic Human Resource, Organisation Development, as well as training and education. In a previous role he was the Principal of the Defence College of Communications and Information Services and his efforts in transforming the College were recognised with him being appointed as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE). He has a BSc (Hons) and three Masters level degrees comprising an MBA, MA in History, and an MSc in Strategic HR as well as being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and the Learning Performance Institute (LPI).

He has also recently completed his first book offering an insight into 35 years of leadership and the lessons he has learnt. Garry completes his military service next year before entering an as yet to be defined, new chapter on his journey.