OCdt Adam Tull, RMC, shares a joke with Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh during his visit to RMC recently. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper

Leadership - The art of captaincy in Waugh

By Pte John Wellfare

AUSTRALIAN Cricket Team Captain Steve Waugh visited RMC recently to pick up some pointers on leadership from the staff and officer cadets.

While the sportsman took time to speak with the RMC cricket team, Mr Waugh said his visit was about learning rather than imparting knowledge.

“I think when you’re a leader of any organisation you’re going to have to be able to handle certain things,” he said.

“Coming [to RMC] today was about trying to learn a bit more about leadership, how it operates and see the discipline that’s required here.”

Waugh said a few members of his family had previously served in the military, some of whom he hadn’t known about until recently.

“My grandfather fought in Papua New Guinea. I actually got his medals a few months ago.

“He passed away in 1999 and never talked about the war at all with any of the family.

“I got all his records, his photos, the day he signed up and got his medals sent a couple of months ago.

“It’s something that a lot of families don’t talk about and you don’t even realise where your relations have been and what they’ve fought in.”

With full-time training, extensive charity work in India and his trip to RMC, Waugh is not slowing down in the off-season.

“It’s not as if you sit at home and do nothing, off-season’s probably harder in some ways because you’re always training.

“You also have sponsors to look after and normal everyday things like putting the garbage out at night and changing kids’ nappies, so you become a normal human being for a while.”

Taking time out to visit RMC was a point of personal interest for the Australian Cricket Captain, who said he’d learnt a lot from the outing.

“The same principals apply here as they do in the Australian cricket side to be successful.

“That’s working together, looking after each other and having some kind of leadership.”

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