Page 105 - QDG Volume 9 No. 5

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards Chatham House – Annual Conference
Centre for Army Leadership
Podcast recordings, a visit to the US
Embassy, Adventure Training, The
Premier League, darts at the Lakeside
and countless presentations-it’s fair to
say this probably wasn’t the best year
to bow out of the British Army. The year
kicked off with the Centre for Army Lead-
ership (CAL) being invited to present
at the Global Followership Conference
at Strathclyde University. Our task was
to deliver a 30-minute keynote to over
150 academics from across the globe. I
took a 10-minute slot, and we divided the
remaining time among the team.
Speaking about the relationship
between the Troop Leader and Troop
Corporal-and bringing that leader-fol-
lower dynamic to life (in a recce context)
was a great experience. My main
takeaway from the whole process was
simple: we are followers all the time,
and leaders only some of the time. While
the relationship is symbiotic, the key
difference is the shared outcome that
both parties work tirelessly together to
achieve. I’ve seen countless examples of
this playout throughout my career, which
is why I jumped at the chance to spend a
week in Edinburgh back in January, even
if it meant braving blizzard-like condi-
tions for a bit of respite, and eating a
deep-fried pizza, it was worth it.
As the year progressed, we reached
out to Warren Gatland, who thankfully
agreed to record a podcast for our main
channel. Within two months, the CAL
team hit the road, delivering briefs to
various stakeholders. We started with
the Welsh Guards, followed by a trip to
Brecon, then and wrapped things up with
a recording session with Warren Gatland
at the Welsh Rugby Union headquarters,
followed by a trek up Pen-Y-Fan and a
visit to Cardiff Castle. Shortly after that
whirlwind road trip, my SO2 moved on,
and my SO1 was posted. While it wasn’t
an ideal situation, the arrival of a new
WO2 helped us push forward with prepa-
rations for the CAL conference. Planning
for the conference began in April, and
without going into too much detail, I’ll
just say that as a team, we delivered a
world-class event. It catered to a wide
audience, showcased intent-based lead-
ership, and ensured that no stone was
left unturned.
Of course, it wasn’t all work. We
balanced things out with a solid dose
of “play hard.” Sports afternoons may
have been rare, but I did manage to
sneak away on a ski trip to Val Thorens.
Alongside that, I visited the US Embassy,
No. 10
Premier League Managers Association
103
AFC Richmond, Number 10, attended
the Premier League Manager of the
Year awards and conference in London,
and conducted outreach with several
companies, including HSBC, DHL, and
the Welsh FA, to name a few. Life at ERE
definitely has its perks!
Looking back, my final highlight from
two years at CAL must be returning to
QDG to deliver my final leadership brief
in November. It was a genuine privilege
to be welcomed back, and I’ve watched in
admiration at everything you’ve achieved
over the past two years. I wish you all the
very best for the future and hope 2025 is
a fantastic year for everyone. All the best,
and Diolch yn fawr.
DC
Pen Y Fan
Premier League Awards
Chanty only plays 4-4-2