Episode 7 - Vulnerability in Leadership - WO1 Jon O’Neill

In this episode, our host Captain Ash Bhardwaj speaks to Warrant Officer Class 1 Jon O'Neill about the importance of honesty and vulnerability in building trust within teams. He reflects on how adopting a more 'coaching' approach to your leadership style is by far the best way of developing others. Joining the Army in 1999, Jon joined the 2nd Batallion, the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (2 PWRR). He has served the majority of his career in Light-Role Infantry Companies, holding every appointment from Signaller to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), deploying to Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was RSM of both 2 PWRR and the Mission Ready Training Centre (MRTC), preparing individuals for deployments overseas, before working with the Specialised Infantry Training Group in North and East Africa. He was also an instructor at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Catterick, and at the Infantry Battle School on the Platoon Commander's Course. His enthusiasm for all things training and development led him to his current role as the Command Sergeant Major of Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command (ARITC).