Leading 4 Life "Stories"
I am Bob Judson and I spent over 34 years in the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom as a fast-jet pilot and then eventually as a senior leader, retiring from the military in 2015 as an Air Vice-Marshal (2* General). I subsequently transitioned to the corporate world as a consultant at Deloitte, but in 2019 I stepped away from all that and co-founded Leading 4 Life.
I am passionate about helping to develop the leadership skills of individuals and teams and that is what this podcast is all about. You will hear from me, and from a wide range of special guests, many of whom have had incredible leadership journeys and risen to the most senior level of their governments, militaries and corporations. The focus won't only be on success; there is also much to be learned from the failures along the way!
Thank you for listening!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudsonBob
Website: https://leading4life.co.uk/
Leading 4 Life "Stories"
E34 - Guests: John Volanthen GM, Cave Explorer and Cave Rescue Expert
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I feel immensely privileged to have had the opportunity to interview John Volanthen for Leading 4 Life "Stories". His name might not be immediately familiar to you but I am sure that the cave rescue of the 12 children and their football coach from a flooded cave in Northern Thailand in 2018 might ring some louder bells.
John, together with his dive partner Rick Stanton, were the first to find the children and their coach, when hope was fading that they would survive, and both men were subsequently instrumental in the successful rescue of all 13 a few days later. It is a remarkable story and John is a remarkable man. Incredibly modest and self effacing, he makes light of his extraordinary achievements but is also incredibly honest about some of the challenges he has faced when he discusses the highs and lows of his life so far.
There are a plethora of great pieces of leadership advice in this interview and I really hope you enjoy it. If you have not already done so, I would also urge you to watch the documentary made about the Thai cave rescue entitled "The Rescue". I found it to be a gripping watch and it sheds yet more light on the remarkable achievements of John and the very large team that collectively worked to rescue the "Wild Boars" football team and their coach.
You can find John on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvolanthen/
In this interview we cover the following topics (starting time in brackets):
- John's career and diving journey (00.03.39)
- Insights into cave diving (00.10.33)
- Stress management & personal resilience (00.14.25)
- Leadership traits (00.23.28)
- Role models (00.29.51)
- Working with youth organisations (00.32.24)
- The 2018 Thai cave rescue story (00.38.43)
- Highs and lows! (00.53.30)
- Work : life balance (01.00.42)
- Dealing with fame and the media (01.02.29)
- Most memorable event! (01.09.41)
- Most difficult question! (01.11.02)
Thank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.
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You can find more about me here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudsonBob
Website: https://leading4life.co.uk/