Sunday afternoon gaming with the boys... Some interesting tactical decisions: bold flanking moves; rapid relief marches; dogged frontal assaults; and heavy casualties. But the Union held *Seven Pines* and *Fair Oak*. Best bit? Spending time with these two, reliving my youth.

We talk a lot about values in leadership. But the real test isn’t what we say - it’s how we behave. The latest #LeadingFromWithin looks at The Integrity Gap: the space between our stated values and our lived actions. That gap is where trust erodes. It’s also where leadership begins. Read here:

We talk endlessly about leadership. We talk far less about the place it’s most brutally tested: at home. Parent Out Loud - a short piece on identity, vulnerability, and why parenting reshapes everything. Grab a cuppa, pull up a bollard, and have a read. open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

🚨Ep3 of #LeadingfromWithin is live!🚨 Military personnel will be all too familiar with the Johari window, where "self-awareness" is sought with laser-like focus, often with unforeseen defenestration. Grab a brew ☕, take 5 🕠, and have a read.👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

New post from NoDuffDispatches. A quiet examination of that insidious inner voice that consistently undermines us. This isn’t a plea for sympathy - it’s an ethical reflection on something many of us carry but rarely name. Have a read, let me know if it resonates. open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Episode 2 of #leadingfromwithin is out. "The Gospel According to (Major) Bach" is a short, honest unpicking of the leadership habits we inherit, internalise, and rarely question - especially after years of being told how to think. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi... No Duff.

"Perhaps that is the quiet challenge Hamnet leaves us with...to be present enough to understand that encouragement is never neutral, that absence is always felt, and that courage is best taught by example rather than expectation." Latest from NoDuffDispatches open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

🚨Blog Post Incoming!🚨 In the first episode of #LeadingFromWithin, I talk Servant Leadership, the impulse to martyrdom, and why good leadership habits don't necessarily translate into parenting. Feet up, kettle on, and dunkers at the ready. Enjoy! open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Delighted to have been asked to review this gem of a book by Joseph Moretz. Yes, I'm a massive amphibious geek, and I could wax lyrical on the topic, but this genuinely fills a gap in the literature. Highly recommended.

Before the season starts, before the noise, before the “plan” — there’s Period Zero. A quiet look at leadership, identity, and what we carry into the next phase. Latest on No Duff Dispatches 👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

I’ve been reflecting on edges this week. The moments where effort hardens into strain. This edition of No Duff Dispatches is a brief pause on pressure, patience, and learning to sit between the climb and the calm without rushing either. Kettle on. 👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Last week, I was thinking about Hammerstein-Equord's 4 typologies of officer; the seductive quality of frenetic activity; and how purposeful pausing makes me a better parent. Take a condor moment and enjoy Achilles, Great Whites, and thoughtful reflection👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Some thoughts on the journeys we take as we meander through life. Life is seldpm a straight-line navigation. Sometimes it is sunny uplands; other times like negotiating your way through the Dead Marshes. Wherever your journey takes you, you never walk alone. open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Chuffed to be asked to submit a (rather eclectic) selection of texts for @societyarmy.bsky.social annual booklist. This reflects 20yrs of reading for work, pleasure, and study. So pick up a book and pull up a bollard!

A new NoDuffDispatches is out: a reflection on resilience, low mood, and why stoicism isn’t a personality. From Lucknow Platoon mushrooms to the surprising power of connection - it’s all in there. Read here:👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Remembrance isn’t just one day a year. It’s childhood, service, loss — and two small boys interrupting every solemn thought with snack requests. A short reflection on memory, hope, and family. 👇 open.substack.com/pub/noduffdi...

Latest from noduffdispatches.substack.com. Switching off from the hyper-productivity and dopamine-hits of modern life with... "Page Turners and Turned Off Phones" Reading as resistance, resilience, and rejuvenation... substack.com/home/post/p-...

No Duff Dispatches noduffdispatches.substack.com?r=4daius&utm...

@rnssc.bsky.social Fellows doing their thing on Thursday with @lborouniversity.bsky.social

The day job strikes again! One of my favourite activities at work is collaborating with others to run these events for our Fellows. Socially engaging; conceptually challenging; and friendly competition always make these hugely enjoyable.