What does it mean to make way in leadership? For former Royal Australian Navy Captain Will Martin, progress as a leader has demanded humility, communication savvy, and above all - a commitment to mission. 

In this episode of Frontline to Boardroom, I speak with Will Martin, a veteran of over 30 years of service in the Royal Australian Navy and a third-generation Naval Officer.  With Command of two ships and operational service in the Middle East and on our borders, he also served as the senior Navy representative in the Australian High Commission in London. In his final full-time posting in the Navy, Will was responsible for all aspects of warfare training across the Navy. Along with his wife Helen, he now runs Waterline Leadership - a leadership development practice focussed on senior teams and emerging leaders. 

What I loved about our conversation was Will’s humility and willingness to get down and dirty to discuss some of the leadership challenges of today. His extensive real-world experience isn’t merely retrospective; he’s focused on paying forward hard-won insights through emerging leader development, irrespective of industry. 

Join Will to hear how lessons from the command of two Navy ships have charted his course as a leadership consultant. Gain insights on unifying teams, focusing through crisis, and developing the self-awareness required of those called to command and lead others. 


WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:

• Will’s origin story and joining the Royal Australian Navy (01:08)
• Leaders that shaped Will's leadership philosophy (02:18)
• The life of a Navy Warfare Officer and Navigator on the seas (03:50)
• Why the mission and protecting his sailors always came first (05:26)
• Strategies for building resilience and preparing for critical moments (15:52)
• The catalyst for transition and moving on from the Navy (20:34)
• Valuable skills developed after military service (26:27)
• Top 3 focus areas for Emerging Leaders (27:51)
• Rapid fire questions with Will Martin (39:42)

Quotes

"Leadership is about inspiring others to action." - Will Martin

"The leader shouldn’t be in the hub of the wheel, they should put the mission in the hub and just be another one of the team members around the outside of the spokes." - Will Martin

"If you think about leadership as a spoken hub model, you can have the leader in the middle and all the team members around the outside of the wheel." - Will Martin

“It's not the leader of the organisation that should be at the top, it's actually the mission. - Martin Brooker

"There's a leadership responsibility to prepare your team, whatever the circumstance - whether military, corporate, or community. You must get people ready for that big scenario. So when it happens, there is an automatic response, and people aren't looking around for the next leadership command. Instead, they swiftly move into action because they were prepared. Resilience is key." - Martin Brooker


RESOURCES

Waterline Leadership Blogs

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

Around Leadership: Bridging the Scientist-Practitioner Gap by Patrick Vermeren


WHERE TO FIND WILL...