Nicky Moffat,CBE, former director of HR and the highest ranking female officer during a 27-year career in the British Army, shared her secrets of good leadership with delegates in a compelling presentation.

She was the only woman to reach the rank of Brigadier  - the other 200 were men – battling against initial low self-belief and prejudiced attitudes to earn the respect of “my soldiers”.

She said the key lessons she had learned included:

Develop knowledge-based self-confidence – being able to answer questions correctly makes you more credible

Be clear where you are heading – and have a clear vision

Make well-considered and timely decisions

Set the highest attainable standards and then lead by example

Give clear directions – you are far more likely to get results when you communicate effectively

Empower your workers – with a ‘what, not how’ approach

Build your teams and develop your people

Be balanced, consistent and fair

Celebrate success and value everyone’s contribution.