Episode 48 – Leadership, Parkinson’s, and an Extraordinary Adventure – Colonel (Retd) Guy Deacon CBE

In this episode, our host Lt Colonel Dean Canham OBE speaks with retired Army Colonel Guy Deacon CBE, a leader with a remarkable military career spanning over three decades. Commissioned into the Queen’s Dragoon Guards in 1985, Guy held numerous regimental and staff appointments across the globe, including commanding the Army Foundation College and supporting efforts to build the Afghan National Army. He has been awarded both an OBE and CBE in recognition of his contributions to the British Army and the international community.   Throughout the episode, Guy shares his reflections on leadership, emphasising the importance of observing and learning from others on one's own leadership journey. He stresses the power of leading by example and highlights that leadership is a lifelong endeavour of continuous development. Guy underscores the importance of leading people well to maximise organisational effectiveness, pointing to his personal experiences as a commanding officer and senior staff officer.   In a personal turn, Guy opens up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with over a decade ago. He explains how maintaining a positive mindset and an adventurous spirit has helped him face adversity, culminating in a remarkable 18,000-mile expedition through Africa to raise awareness for Parkinson’s. His journey is not only a testament to resilience but also an example of how leadership principles can be applied to overcome personal challenges.   This episode offers valuable insights into the leadership challenges faced by military leaders at all levels, as well as a deeply personal perspective on resilience and self-leadership. Guy's story is truly inspirational, reflecting the British Army's leadership definition: a blend of character, knowledge, and action to inspire others to succeed. You can learn more about his work and support his campaign for Parkinson’s awareness by visiting www.guydeacon.co.uk.

Om Podcasten

Drawing on over 300 years of British Army leadership experience, ’The Centre For Army Leadership Podcast’ looks to get to the heart of what is required of our leaders and our leadership, to meet the challenges of both today and tomorrow. For the British Army leadership underpins everything that we do. It not only ensures we do right by our people, but critically it underpins our operational success. This Podcast Series seeks to harness diversity of thought and experience, from leaders across the military, sport, academia and business worlds, stimulating debate, awareness and critical thinking. Leadership matters to us all and our successes, and indeed our failures, are so often defined by how well we are led, or indeed by how well we lead. We hope by sharing our experiences and by learning from others we can promote the value of great leadership, and together we can develop ourselves, our teams and in turn the society in which we live.