Retired Major General Patrick Cordingley has delivered the 7th annual Military Education Committee Lecture at the University of Southampton.
Major General Cordingley retired in 2000 after commanding the 7th Armoured Brigade – The Desert Rats – during the 1991 Gulf War. His tank formation led the British and American attack that breached the Iraqi defences. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and leadership.
During his lecture on 4 March, entitled ‘The Legacy of the First Gulf War’, Major General Cordingley gave an open and honest account of his experiences from the first Gulf War. He explained the legacy of the conflict on the second Gulf War and then how both of these earlier conflicts have influenced the current situation in the Middle East.
The General focused particularly on the challenges he faced as he led the Brigade into the desert and the external pressures he faced from the logistics of landing a military force in the desert and dealing with issues as diverse as handling the media, maintaining the morale of the soldiers, mobile navigation in the featureless terrain of the desert and the importance of reliable communications technology.
Speaking to more than three hundred student officer cadets, their Commanding Officers and staff from the four Southampton University Service Unit and invited guests including the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire together with senior officers and civic dignitaries, Major General Cordingley enthused about what he believes are the keys to successful leadership – understanding, trust and relationships with your team.
“When you build a successful team, you build it with people you trust and they will put their trust in you,” he said.