ADC Forge Media

In this episode of Lives in Leadership, Dr Lucas Marie sits down with Major General Rose King, Chief of the New Zealand Army and the first woman to lead a military service in New Zealand.

With a career spanning more than three decades, Major General King shares the experiences and lessons that have shaped her leadership philosophy — from her early days trying to blend in as "the grey man," to the moment she realised it was okay to bring her whole self to work. She reflects on the importance of authenticity, integrity, and leading by example, and explains why influence matters more than authority the further you climb.

The conversation covers Plan Anzac, the bilateral agreement that strengthens interoperability between the Australian and New Zealand armies, and explores the deep, sibling-like relationship between the two nations' militaries. Major General King opens up about a culturally challenging deployment to Afghanistan, where she led a team that displaced personnel from a coalition headquarters — a test of resilience, empathy, and professional fortitude that taught her not to take things personally.

She also discusses the New Zealand Army's bicultural journey, including her testimony at the Turanga Tribunal and the public debate around codifying Māori protocols within the Army. Far from an exercise in making everyone the same, she explains how understanding different cultural perspectives strengthens the organisation and builds a capability that translates directly to international operations.

The episode turns to crisis leadership, as Major General King recounts her role as Director of Operations for MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) during the COVID-19 pandemic — co-leading a largely civilian organisation, flattening hierarchies, and focusing on purpose above all else. She offers a thoughtful perspective on the broader role of modern militaries: warfighting first, but agile and ready to serve wherever governments need them.

Finally, she shares what she's reading at the moment — from Harry Potter bedtime stories with her daughter to the French Army Chief's command insights to a new book on New Zealand's specialist service contributions.

Dr Lucas Marie speaks with international relations scholar and host of Australia in the World, Dr Darren Lim, about how Defence leaders can make sense of a complex strategic environment. Drawing on debates about China, the conflict in Iran and Australia’s alliance with the United States, Lim explores how to question assumptions, test ideas and remain open to changing one’s mind. The conversation examines why military success does not necessarily deliver lasting political outcomes, and why understanding politics matters for the profession of arms.

Artificial intelligence and data analytics are changing how military forces understand, influence and act within the information environment. This article examines how AI can turn vast quantities of data into strategic advantage, from predictive analysis and data fusion to cyber operations, psychological influence and countering misinformation. It also considers the risks accompanying these capabilities, including privacy, bias, accountability and compliance with international law. As data becomes an increasingly important strategic asset, the article argues that achieving data dominance — while maintaining appropriate human oversight — will be critical to success in the future battlespace.

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The Australian Defence Force needs thousands of new recruits each year, yet the pool it can realistically draw from is far smaller than Australia’s population figures suggest. This article examines how health, education, criminality and other national characteristics combine with ADF selection requirements to leave fewer than half of 17–24-year-olds eligible to serve. Once willingness to join is added, the potential recruiting pool falls to just 16% — and potentially as low as 11%. It explores what these numbers reveal about the ADF’s persistent recruiting challenge and the limited levers Defence has available to address it.

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What role could memes play in the future of warfare, and what does that mean for the Australian Defence Force? This article explores the evolution of memetic warfare and examines how memes, narratives and ideas can shape behaviour, influence decision-making and contest the information environment. Drawing on the Russia–Ukraine war and the emergence of online civic resistance groups such as NAFO, it considers how similar dynamics could emerge in a future Indo-Pacific conflict. Rather than presenting memetic warfare as a new military panacea, the article argues that it offers the ADF a useful framework for thinking about narrative and cognitive warfare, with potential applications from operations to training, recruitment and organisational culture.

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