GENERAL Sir Richard Dannatt was the guest speaker at the Manx inter-denominational Island-wide Breakfast for men and women at the Hilton Hotel, Douglas, held on Saturday morning.
The event was supported by all the church leaders in the Island.
Speaking on Leadership in Turbulent Times, Sir Richard captivated his audience of 180 as he spoke of different management styles across business, the church and of course the military.
He commented upon leadership styles at different times in history and made it quite clear how his strong faith had supported him and influenced him during his career.
He also enlightened those present on the importance of the work undertaken around the world by the British armed forces. Following his talk he answered several questions from the floor.
Sir Richard has had a distinguished career in the Armed Forces. He won a military Cross at the age of 23 and narrowly escaped death three times.
He commanded at all levels before being appointed Chief of the General Staff.
In a recent interview with Andrew Holloway he said: "In my business, asking people to risk their lives is part of the job, but doing so without giving them the chance to understand that there is a life after death is something of a betrayal...Qualities and core values are fine as an acceptable moral baseline for leadership, but the unique life, death, resurrection and promises of Christ provide that spiritual opportunity that I believe takes the privilege of leadership to another level."
His honesty in making such remarks publicly, together with his moral courage in advocating the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and in criticising the lack of government expenditure on helicopters and protective equipment for combat soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, cost him the promotion to Chief of Defence Staff which had been planned.
Sir Richard is a convinced Christian, strongly supported in his faith by his wife and family.
He is Patron of Military Ministries International, President of the Soldiers and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association (SASRA) and many other Christian-related organisations.
In secular terms he is Constable of the Tower of London and Chairman of the prestigious Royal United Services Institute.
He left the meeting promptly at 9am to go straight to the airport to ensure he would be home in Norwich for a live interview on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning.
An article in the Sunday Times at the weekend hinted at his elevation to the House of Lords by UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
