Aaron Thompson MBE
As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Praxis Leadership, Aaron Thompson MBE brings nearly twenty years’ experience leading people, operations and organisational change in demanding environments.
Trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Aaron’s career in the British Army included leading multinational activity across four continents and holding senior responsibility for the UK’s Aerial Delivery capability. His work has included organisational transformation, crisis response, multinational logistics operations and humanitarian aid delivery. He has helped organisations to improve efficiency, increase delivery capacity and bring new capability into service at pace.
In 2026, Aaron was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his operational leadership of 47 Air Despatch, particularly its humanitarian work. The unit was also recognised with the prestigious Firmin Sword of Peace.
Aaron has developed hundreds of leaders across the private, public and third sectors through leadership development, facilitation, coaching and team development workshops. His postgraduate research focused on leading effective change in highly resistant organisations.
He is a Chartered Manager, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and a TEDx speaker. His talk, 'The Leadership Paradox: Why You Should Lead Without Control', explores how leaders build trust, ownership and high-performance by creating clarity rather than tightening control.
Aaron founded Praxis Leadership to help organisations develop clearer managers, stronger teams and practical leadership behaviours that last beyond the training room. His approach is built on a simple belief: leadership is a practical skill. People improve when they are given clear tools, realistic practice and the confidence to apply what they learn at work.
BSc (Hons) MSc CMgr FCMI FIoL
Our Core Values
Integrity
Leadership starts with trust. We work with honesty, discretion and respect, helping leaders build consistency through clear standards and fair decisions.
Courage
Leadership requires action. We help leaders face difficult issues, make sound decisions and stay steady under pressure, acting early and speaking clearly.
Excellence
Leadership should make work better. We combine credible research with real experience to deliver visible improvement beyond the training room.
Evidence-Informed
Our work is grounded in relevant research, real-world experience, and honest feedback. We use simple, measurable ways to see what has shifted in your workplace.
Behaviour-Led
Training only matters if it changes what people do. We focus on the everyday behaviours that shape team performance: how managers set standards, communicate, and follow up.
Modular and Scalable
Leadership development should be flexible without losing quality. You can start with a single workshop or build a focused package into a longer pathway for a cohort of managers.
Client-Centred
Every organisation has its own pressures and priorities. We start by understanding your people, your operating environment, and the specific leadership challenges you want to address.
Experiential First
Leadership skill is built through practice. We use realistic scenarios, guided practice, and peer discussion so managers can test new approaches before applying them at work.