?? Who Is Richard Gadd ??

For those of us using #CreatorMode on #LinkedIn , a potential disadvantage is that the ‘About Section’ is afforded less visibility than it otherwise might be. To compensate for this, I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself.

I was adopted by a Service family, fared poorly at school, and after an unremarkable and somewhat unhappy childhood, twice having failing officer selection, I joined the British Army as a private soldier aged 18. To be honest, my first recollections of Service life were not its dreadful food, ill-fitting clothes, austere living conditions, or even the harsh discipline, but the great sense of humour of the soldiers, and weak leadership of some of the officers. On reflection, my expectations were entirely unrealistic and founded more on It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Dad's Army than any scientific research. I couldn't understand for example, why the young officers didn't always train with us, invest more in our development, or even get to know us very well. ?? ???????????????? ???????????? ??'?? ???? ???????????? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ????????????????????????.

On completion of our Basic Training, eleven of us were sent on combat operations in Northern Ireland, where I served a further six tours during my time in the infantry. My 'induction' was fairly brutal, and I was not only allocated the bunk of a man recently shot through the head but was made to box a Battalion champion. No matter, I never lost my aspiration to be an officer, and vowed never to wear jeans as a pointless act of defiance.

As the end of my three-year engagement approached, and in my second memorable act of defiance, I advised my Commanding Officer "unless you recommend me for officer training, I'll leave". In a moment of madness he agreed, and I was commissioned from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (RMAS) as a Second Lieutenant in April 1986, less than three years since enlisting as a private soldier.

On re-joining my Regiment in Germany, I made countless mistakes and acknowledge that I was one of the weaker officers. I worked extremely hard however, was very fit, adored the soldiers that I was privileged enough to lead, and treated everyone with equal respect. It is a matter of enduring pride and humility that more that 80% of my #Facebook connections today are soldiers with whom I served all those years ago. Indeed, many of the kindest and most flattering comments ever made about me throughout my life have come from those I've been fortunate enough to lead, and very few from have originated from more senior executives. I can't quite explain this, although I've always preferred the company of those who offer no potential career, financial, or social advantage.

Life moved on, I became engaged at 25, married at 28, and was regrettably diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) the following year, effectively making me unsuited to an enduring career in the infantry. I subsequently transferred to the Army Medical Services (AMS), where I mistakenly imagined my proven leadership skills would propel me to the upper echelons of an organisation I'd previously only ever arrogantly referred to as 'PONTIs', or Personnel of no Tactical Importance!

Life in the AMS was very different, and besides never having to dig another trench or work eighteen-hour days, the complexities of treating, evacuating, hospitalising, and rehabilitating casualties was immense. Frustrated by my evident lack of military medical and clinical knowledge, I was desperate to catch up and make a positive contribution. Before leaving the Army, I obtained an MSc in Entrepreneurial Leadership, an MBA in Life Sciences, Fellowships of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Institute of Consulting (IC), Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM), and was a certified Senior Healthcare Manager, Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and Chartered Manager (CMgr). Since transferring from the infantry, I'd become better educated and more qualified than many of my peers in the AMS, which frustrated me hugely each time I was overlooked by a Promotion Board.

Delighted to have been afforded the opportunity to secure an education as a healthcare professional, I confess that I became disillusioned with my lack of career progression, my inability to ingratiate myself with my AMS peers, and feelings of insignificance. My health was also starting to deteriorate, and I feared it would only be a matter of time before I was medically discharged.

By 2012, I was ready to leave the AMS and were it not for the prospect of further CPD might have left then. The next six years were the unhappiest of my life, exacerbated by my assignment to the strategic headquarters of the Defence Medical Services (DMS) in the West Midlands and exposure to an environment consisting not just of Army personnel, but military and civilian personnel drawn from the Royal Navy (RN), Royal Air Force (RAF), Civil Service, Full Time Reserves, and civilian contractors. Working in a senior executive, clinician-heavy environment, the opportunity to make an enduring positive impact receded with each day. Fortunately, I was able to immerse myself in consulting on multi-million-pound infrastructure projects in collaboration with the civilian Health Sector, coaching and mentoring junior Civil Servants, and volunteering with both the CMI and The Open University Business School (OUBS), of which I was an alumnus.

Following seven weeks as an inpatient in the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court, Surrey in 2015, during which time I'd observed countless examples of suboptimal care and leadership, I knew it was time to leave, and I commenced my resettlement. I used my last military 'learning credits' to undertake an MSc in Entrepreneurial Leadership with Edinburgh Napier University and gain a Level Seven qualification in Executive Coaching and Mentoring with the British School of Coaching. Fortunately, my medical discharge took longer than anticipated, which gave me the opportunity to relocate from the West Midlands to North Yorkshire, and buy my first ever house, in York.?

It had been whilst serving in York in 1994, that I first fell in love with the city, its people, its weather, and its history. My son was born in its General Hospital. I'd never live anywhere else and will only have to cross the road to the local cemetery when the day comes!

?As my medical discharge drew closer and having lost none of my appetite for critical analysis, and enabling 'good people' to succeed, I elected to establish my own business in my back garden and had an office constructed for that purpose, containing a workspace, washroom, and confidential 'breakout space'. It's perfect.

I've undertaken considerable learning and development throughout my life, and at the time of writing, was enrolled to undertake a third Master’s degree with The Open University (OU) as part of the Disabled Veterans Scholarship Fund (DVSF), which I've been awarded. I have a growth mindset, and a pressing desire to learn from experience. My 100% excellent recommendations on Google and LinkedIn are testimony to my competence as a leader. My values remain respect for others, humility, integrity, authentic leadership, and sense of humour.

I regard everyone as unique and equally deserving of success. I celebrate people’s triumphs and commiserate with them at their losses. I am also a certified Wellbeing Coach and Stress and Resilience Practitioner.

Very few of us are blessed with the ability to convince others of our worth in writing, and I'm certainly not one of them. For those of you who have studied my Profile, read my testimonials, or met me at a networking event, I can assure you that I'm genuine. I might now be an irregular wheelchair user, but my thirst for helping others has not been quenched.

Please give me a call:

?? https://www.developingbusinessexcellence.co.uk

?? [email protected]

?? https://calendly.com/richard-gadd

? +44 (0)1904 400700

?? +44 (0)7791 646270

?? Face to Face, Google Meet, Skype, WhatsApp, Facetime, Skype, LinkedIn, or Messenger