Page 55 - 1RHA 2023

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Regimental Leadership Week 2023 Capt Sophie Murrison RHA O (HQ) Bty
The Chestnut Troop was given the task of organising the annual Regimental Leadership Week which took place 26th to the 30th of June 2023. The aim of the week was to develop the leadership skills of all ranks outside of formalised courses and their day-to-day work. Leadership training happens every day within the Regiment, however a dedicated week allows us to consolidate lessons learnt, share experiences, invest time and resources into amplifying a culture of leadership within 1 RHA. During the planning phase five key themes were identified; learning from others, intellectual development, professional com- petence, conceptual development, and team cohesion. These were the fundamental principles that all activity was based on throughout the week.
The week began by exploring our first theme, learning from oth- ers. We had the privilege of hosting Master Gunner St James’s Park (MGSJP), Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory KBE CH DL. MGSJP opened the week with an address reminding the Regiment of the fundamental importance of leadership and how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to study it in such depth. Representatives from The Metropolitan Police Leadership Centre of Excellence then addressed the Regiment. This brief provided a unique insight into the leadership challenges that police offic- ers face in their day-to-day roles. The brief also focused on the thought-provoking topic of poor leadership and how an organi- sation can reset after suffering from a lack of strong leadership at the top. The afternoon then saw the regiment split down into syndicates of 8 to conduct debates on the themes of leadership and current affairs. Teams from different Battery’s were pitched against each other with officers and SNCO’s chairing the debates. The standard was incredibly high, and it was evident the morning briefs had resonated, as many of the teams drew examples and themes from the speakers.
Tuesday saw the Regiment deploy onto Salisbury Plain Train- ing Area for a Patrols Competition with 8 teams taking part. The course consisted of 20 Kilometres and 10 checkpoints and was ran by O/HQ Battery. The teams were self-sustaining throughout the day, with all personal kit and weapon systems being caried by the individual. The tasks at the checkpoints were designed to test the teams’ soldering skills and teamwork. Stands ranged
from cooking in the field to section attack lanes, BCD and AFV recognition. Stands were both leader-led and leaderless giving junior ranks the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone and lead their team. All teams finished in a strong position and the competition was won by a team from The Chestnut Troop.
On Wednesday the Regiment had the privilege of hosting Mark Ormrod MBE. Mark is a former Royal Marine who became the first triple amputee to survive Op HERRICK. Overcoming huge adversity, he later went on to win gold in the Invictus Games and has completed a number of other extremely arduous physical challenges. Mark was unable to attend in person due to health issues, however he was able to deliver a truly inspiring brief virtu- ally. The brief focused on leadership through adversity, overcom- ing challenges and mental resilience.
Thursday of leadership week saw the Regiment enter into a con- ceptual phase. This phase consisted of syndicates planning mili- tary operations based on a combination of theoretical and real scenarios from the Falkland War, ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Taiwan. Bombardiers and above were split into syndicates and
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