Contact Professor Bryan Watters
- Tel: +44 (0) 7738 246677
- Email: b.watters@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Background
Bryan is Professor of Defence Leadership,
Prior to joining Cranfield, Bryan had a successful career in the British Army. Having commanded 1st Battalion the Cheshire Regiment he was Director of Military Studies (Colonel Training) at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, a member of the Directing Staff at the Joint Services Command and Staff College (Advanced Command and Staff Course), Founding Director of the Ministry of Defence Strategic Leadership Programme and Vice President of the Army Officer Selection Board. In direct leadership roles, culminating in a one star (Brigadier's) appointment on General Petraeus's staff in Iraq, Bryan has commanded on active service in a number of theatres, including: N. Ireland, Rhodesia, Belize, Bosnia, Iraq and Kosovo. His leadership has been formally recognised on 3 occasions in the UK's Operational Honours and Awards List (OBE, QCVS, CinC's Commendation) and in 2005 he was awarded the Legion of Merit (Officer) by The United States.
Current activities
In addition to supervising Masters and Doctoral students his scholarly interests include:
Cross cultural leadership
Strategic Leadership
Contemporary innovations in leadership development
Toxic leadership
Leadership as a relationship and the constructs that underpin that relationship
Leadership research methodologies and the use of Personal Construct Theory.
His current consultancy includes writing the second edition of leadership in Defence for the Defence Leadership Centre.
He is the Head of the Centre for Defence Leadership and Management, Director of the Cranfield Defence Leadership MSc and Academic Director of the MOD Senior Strategic Leadership Programme. He has guest lectured at Oxford, Warwick and Plymouth (Duchy College) Universities. In the last three years he has run Strategic Leadership Programmes in S. America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
Clients
Bryan has undertaken educational projects and consultancies for the UK MOD and a range of companies and oversees governments.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Watters BSC. (2019). Leadership in the ‘Wicked’ Problem of Bosnia’s civil war: A case study examining ethical decision making under duress. Leadership, 15(1)
- Dunn M, Egginton B, Pye N, Taylor T & Watters B. (2011). From Defence Reform to Defence Transformation. The RUSI Journal, 156(5)
- Watters BSC. (2011). The Utility of Social Science and Management Theory on Military Operations: of Portacabins and Polo Fields. Defence Studies, 11(1)
Conference Papers
- Watters BSC. (2010). Command leadership ethos and culture
- Watters BSC. (2009). Identity and loyalty
- Watters BSC. (2007). Constructs of Loyalty Within an Iraqi Police Leadership Paradigm
- Soffe RJ, Stone M & Watters BSC. (2005). Generational Leadership in the UK Military and Public Sectors http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/cls/documents/leadership-refrains.pdf
- Watters BSC. (2004). Mission Command - Mission Leadership (Creating the Climate for Maximising Performance) - A Corporate Philosophy
- Watters BSC. (2004). National Models of Military Leadership: Towards a Common Methodology
- Watters BSC. (2003). Leadership in defence - a contemporary view taking aspiration to exemplar with a reality check
Books
- Watters B & Zaidi I. (2021). Chapter 13: strategic leadership: concept, theory and practice In Cleary LR & Darby R (eds), Managing security: concepts and challenges. Routledge.
- Zaidi I & Watters B. (2021). Chapter 8: strategic management In Cleary LR & Darby R (eds), Managing security: concepts and challenges. Routledge.
- Watters B. (2019). Political versus Military Leadership: The Battle for Common Means and Ends In Ron Matthers (ed.), The Political Economy of Defence (Part I - national security). Cambridge University Press.
- Watters BSC & Willis D. (2004). Leadership in Defence (1st)
- Watters BSC, Moody P & Ellis J. (1994). White warriors : the Cheshire Regiment in Bosnia (First)
