#86 - A Leadership Masterclass - Major Russell Lewis MC, Inspirational Speaker on Leadership and Author of ’Company Commander’

Major Russell Lewis MC is one of the most incredible men I've ever had the pleasure to speak to.  Throughout his Army career he spent 20 years as an Officer in the Parachute Regiment and served in a variety of challenging theatres including Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Iraq. In 2009 he was awarded a Military Cross for leadership and gallantry in Afghanistan.  His accounts of this 6 month tour in Afghanistan, where he was the Company Commander, were published in his book 'Company Commander'. A phenomenal read.

Russell currently delivers leadership and coaching training to multi national corporations and charitable organisations. He is also a motivational speaker who has addressed the US Naval Academy, Boston College, Greater Manchester Police and the European Nuclear Safety Agency. As well as being a defence commentator for Sky News.

What I love about Russell is his passion for the fact that the leadership qualities he has developed in the army are transferable into any environment.  And most importantly... these skills can be learnt.

Here are some of the topics we covered in our chat:

- Why the Army was the only route Russell every wanted to take.

⁃ Russell makes clear that leadership qualities can be learnt and how.

⁃ How the army accelerated his leadership skills.

⁃ Responding and reacting to pressure and set backs is one of the biggest areas of leadership. He explains how this happens in any environment and talks about the mindset to get into when that happens.

⁃ ‘Leadership is never tested on a good day.’ Russell talks us through a bad day in Afghanistan and how he reacted during the most difficult day off his leadership career.

⁃ Neurolinguistic VIsualization Techniques.

- Emotional energy as a leader. Russell talks about the importance of using passion to get the most out of the people you are leading.  However this does have an adverse affect on you as a leader if you do not take time to recoup your energy levels.

⁃ Russell talks us through some of the techniques he uses when working with organisations or individual’s to improve their approach to leadership.  

- Russell talks us through the incredible appreciation and respect he had for all of his soldiers. 

- How being kind to himself was the key to getting his enthusiasm and passion for life back.  There Is nothing wrong doing whatever you need/want to do to get back to where you are mentally happy. 

- I ask Russell a key life lesson he has learnt over the years.

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