L and M.
 

Alastair Cook today, in fact for several years. Truly a man who has experienced the highs and the very lows of L and M.
I love Cook and his manner, and his quiet, gentle and almost self effacing way. Outstanding man who has borne the twin imposters with real dignity.
I'm truly glad tonight the Australians have had the Ashes well and truly shoved up their Aussie arses. Although generally I like the nation themselves.


Best military leader and manager you had? Were they like Cook? (I recall that none of mine were and now wonder why?).
Cook almost seems the opposite(at times) of what one expects and demands as a leader.
And yet he is tremendously successful at this so highly pressurized, media scrutinized level. One of the best, ever.
It got me thinking.
Far too many British military leaders are not like Cook, at all.


One of the worst Captains I ever worked for....looked the part, and talked the talk. But in reality he was at times arrogant, rude, bullying and frankly, comparably dim. He got my back up from the start and it was a bad start. No way back after that.


Should the military look outside hundreds of years of convention... and accept leaders that need not always fit a stereotypical image?


* Sqn Ldr Bader shoots me down straight away for being unconventional, but you know what I mean.

HS,

I agree about Chef.

It's an interesting question, do you want leaders that you would follow, or a management 'team' that looked after you, and the big picture.

I can....let's stop there for the moment.

Captain Cook? Thought he was long gone sailor.:E

Found a little place in the Southern Ocean, I believe. Called it Oz, or something like that. Planted the Union Flag on it.

Patron Saint of Middlesbrough.

In Whitby at the moment about 300 yards from Captain Cook museum if anybody wants any info.
Military Aviation?
Oh sorry Alistair Cook.

Well, he re-found it couple of hundred years after the Dutch planted a pewter plate.. (hence why the place was known as New Holland before Flinders promoted the name Terra 'Oz')

The other Cook? He's ok, I suppose. For a Pom.

Alistair Cook
 

Used to love listening to his "Letters from America"

Read a few years ago - a spiffing read, old chap ;)

Well, he re-re-found it a few thousand years after the Aborigines I'd say.

Best leader I worked for, and some may have called him a bully was JW who was Stn Cdr Bruggen 1977-79. Hard man but would have followed him.

I can understand following a "leader" fom a pongo perspective where the boss is actually leading. From a RAF perspective I´d use the word "respect" rather than follow. That said, I don´t think I could respect a bully.

Hempy and melmothtw,

Thought that would provoke some 'incoming' ! (Tongue-in-cheek, of course).

As it is, I reside about a mile as the crow flies from a local Park in which a large classical marble dish commemorates Cook's birthplace (erected by a Victorian ironmaster in what was once his estate).

Danny.

Surely that should read HMP Terra 'Oz' ;)

I find it interesting that in such sports as rugby or cricket most English speaking people support two teams - their own and anyone playing Australia.

I wonder if they recognise the impression they cause?

I found their military much more American and less British than I thought - very disappointing

In the case of the Scots (who mainly speak English!) in the case of football it's Scotland and anyone playing, and preferably beating, England. In recent years that's given them plenty of choice :(

Back to leaders, I dont think it's at all easy to define the characteristics of a good leader. Taking as an example the invasion of Normandy and the subsequent actions up to VE Day, the three top men, Eisenhower, Montgomery and Patton were each entirely different in their approach to leadership, but were all undeniably effective.

Yes we do. And we love it. A nation of just over 20 million and, per capita, we dominate a lot of sport on the world stage. The reason you hate us is because we are better than you. It's juvenile, but understandable. You invented a lot of sports, it's a pity you can't play them.

Time to hand out some more Ashes OBE's methinks! Well done!!

You can thank Mr Churchill's abandonment of his 'brethren' to the Japs (and simply following 'worlds best practice') for that nugget.

Perhaps you have a different coverage of the results down there? I think you will find the colonialists lost this week!

My first memory of sport was seeing Kim Hughes crying and watching flash boy Clarke cry after England won another Ashes series it seems nothing has changed.

Happy Days

Funny the All Blacks are much better than us but we don't hate them.

It's obviously not the yellow and green shirt we dislike but the t*ssers in them?

The Kiwis. Yeah, they are good at 2 things, Rugby* and Netball. Don't see many of them in the NBL, NFL, MLB, Davis Cup, PGA Tour, F1, MotoGP, World Cup finals, Olympic finals, Winter Olmpic finals, Cycling Grand Tours, Surfing World Championships, Hockey World Championships, Squash, Snooker, Darts etc etc etc. We also have a national sport that no one else has the guts to attempt to play (well, the Irish try at least)

Crow about the Ashes, every dog has it's day. At least our players are actually born here, and we'll have them back soonest anyway :ok:

* in case you missed it. Saturday night..