Page 15 - Signal Summer 2019

| LEADERSHIP: MARK PRENDERGAST | Leadership: A Personal Perspective
Having recently embarked on a new career after 30 years in the Defence Forces, Lt Col (Ret’d) Mark Prendergast is well-placed to comment on leadership, how it is developed and what its common traits are. In fact, that’s what he now does on a daily basis in his new con- sultancy business. He took some time to speak with SIGNAL Editor Ruairi Kavanagh about leadership, decision making and more.
Mark Prendergast has enjoyed a very varied career within the organisation, with roles ranging from command to training coordination to strategic interfaces at a senior level. Commissioned as part of the 63rd Cadet Class in 1988, his path through the organisation led him into contact with those that would shape his thoughts and views on command and leadership, while also helping him develop his own style of leading those in his command. Now, working with those in the private sector, he helps those in management and leadership to make decisions, develop their skills and hone their styles for the various challenges of the business environment.
‘It is something I’m really enjoying,” he explains, adding that for many a move into the private sector from the military may sometimes be difficult in terms of crystallising plans for a post- Defence Forces career. “It is obviously not a decision I made overnight, but for anyone seeking to move into another area I would advise them to firstly clarify in their own minds what is it of business value they offer, what is their unique selling point and how they will deliver. Then, most importantly, practise describing this to a non-military audience in jargon free language that connects.”
Within the military environment, as Mark explains, people are aware of their value, which is measured by the work they have done and the experience they have accrued. In the private sector, it is different. You don’t have that shared understanding of competence and you need to work hard to distinguish your skills and what you have to offer.
A New Challenge
So, is he enjoying the challenge? “The diversity of the work is something that is really rewarding, working across different sectors of industry. I am of course learning all the time and it’s so important that you listen very closely to clients during initial engagements and that you really find out what is going on their world and the type of challenges that are current.”
Mark explains that it’s also vital that he doesn’t make quick decisions when working with his clients; “In the military, decision making is indoctrinated. It’s why we are in command, to make decisions. But there are times when we make decisions very rapidly and on some occasions we solve the problems we can solve rather than the ones that we need to solve. I work with many clients on decision making. I encourage developing an understanding of the complexity of the environment before they make decisions.”
What are other main differences he notices between the military and private sector environments? “I find leaders in the private sector are far more deliberate about making a decision. They go to meetings with the authority and the express intention of making a decision, and I really enjoy working with that mindset.”
Lt Col (Ret’d) Mark Prendergast
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Prendergast on duty as Commanding Officer of the 48th Infantry Group with UNDOF in 2015.
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