Leadership is a Code – Not a Costume

For over two decades I’ve led teams through jungles, mountains, and deserts — from military operations as a Section Commander to trekking the Kokoda Track 95 times (and counting). Through it all, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t something you put on when people are watching. It’s who you are when no one’s around.

Leadership, to me, is a code. It’s not a buzzword, not a slogan on a coffee mug — it’s a lived practice. It guides how I show up for my team, whether in uniform or boots caked in mud halfway up Kilimanjaro. My code isn’t fancy, but it’s forged in discomfort, responsibility, and service. Here’s what I live by:

1. I lead from the front and care from the rear.

In the Army, we had a saying: “The Section Commander is the first in, last out.” That stuck with me. Whether patrolling through the bush or leading clients across Kokoda, I’ve never asked someone to do what I’m unwilling to do myself. Leadership means walking the talk — literally.

On Kokoda, I’ve carried injured trekkers’ packs, crossed rivers waist-deep to test the current, and taken the lead on night marches when weather turned nasty. Why? Because it matters. Your team watches. They’re learning whether they can trust you.

Leadership starts at the front — but it earns loyalty from the back.

2. I stay calm under pressure.

Pressure reveals the truth of leadership. I’ve seen it in combat zones and in the chaos of evacuation scenarios on expeditions. People don’t rise to the occasion — they fall back on their training and the temperament of their leader.

When everything goes sideways, your calm is their confidence.

Once, while trekking in PNG, we had a medical emergency deep in the jungle. Helicopter extraction was uncertain due to weather, and the group was tense. I remember slowing my breathing and speaking softer, not louder. I wasn’t ignoring the stress — I was controlling my presence. That calmness set the tone and bought us the clarity to make smart decisions.

3. I make safety a habit, not a rule.

Safety isn’t a checklist — it’s a culture. In both military and adventure leadership, safety doesn’t mean playing small. It means playing smart.

I tell my team: We make bold decisions, but we never gamble with lives. Every route I take, every piece of kit I choose, every pre-expedition briefing I deliver is about embedding safety as second nature.

It’s why we drill scenarios and prep for the worst even when the weather’s perfect. If you only act safely when someone’s watching or when the conditions are harsh, you’re already behind the curve.

4. I hold the standard, even when no one is watching.

In the Army, I learned that integrity isn’t tested on parade grounds — it’s tested when it’s 3AM, you’re freezing, and no one would know if you cut a corner. But you would know.

On the track, when the temptation is there to shave time, skip checks, or let standards slip — that’s when true leadership shows up. Your team is watching you, even if you don’t see them. More importantly, they’re absorbing your standard as their own.

I’m not perfect — but I’m consistent. And in leadership, consistency is character.

5. I adapt, improvise, and overcome.

No plan survives contact — with the enemy or with nature.

On Everest Base Camp, we once had a key bridge swept away by floods. The itinerary was gone. But the mission wasn’t. Leadership means pivoting without panicking. I gathered the team, briefed them clearly, and then found a way around — trekking an extra day, adjusting food logistics, and keeping morale high. No complaints. No excuses.

Grit isn’t loud. It’s not a speech. It’s the quiet decision to move forward when the plan breaks and nothing feels easy.

Final Thoughts

Leadership is earned in the shadows, in the sweat, in the silence of a group depending on you to hold it together. I don’t have all the answers — but I’ve got the code. And it’s served me well through the jungle, through the mountains, and through life.

Whether you’re leading a section, a business, or a group of strangers on an adventure of a lifetime — remember: your people don’t follow your words, they follow your example.

Hold the standard. Lead from the front. Never stop caring from the rear.

Glenn Azar
Founder | The Building Better Humans Project
Mindset & Performance Coach | Former Soldier | Leadership Mentor
📍 Brisbane, Australia
🌐 www.buildingbetterhumansproject.com.au
📧 glenn ‘@’ glennazar.com
📞 +61 438364106

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