Stanley McChrystal
Former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, Author of Best-Sellers Team of Teams and My Share of the Task
• Widely credited with revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations
• Led JSOC, the military’s most secretive branch, from 2003-2008
• Teaches coveted graduate seminar in leadership at Yale
• Discusses counterterrorism and geopolitics, leadership, and structural innovation
• Led JSOC, the military’s most secretive branch, from 2003-2008
• Teaches coveted graduate seminar in leadership at Yale
• Discusses counterterrorism and geopolitics, leadership, and structural innovation
A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture.
Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army.
Stan is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches a course on Leadership. He also sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation, Siemens Government Technology, and JetBlue Airways. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership to organizations around the country. In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. Stan also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller based on the epochal Parallel Lives by Plutarch.
A passionate advocate for national service and veterans’ issues, Stan is the Chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance. In this capacity, he advocates for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.
Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army.
Stan is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches a course on Leadership. He also sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation, Siemens Government Technology, and JetBlue Airways. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership to organizations around the country. In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. Stan also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller based on the epochal Parallel Lives by Plutarch.
A passionate advocate for national service and veterans’ issues, Stan is the Chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance. In this capacity, he advocates for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.
Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Topics:
- VIRTUAL OFFERING: Virtual Conversation with the McChrystal Group: Practical Advice for Leadership in the Current Crisis
A four-star general, Stanley McChrystal is widely credited with revolutionizing warfare by fusing intelligence and operations - leading more than 150,000 troops through a virtual command base. Serving on McChrystal’s senior staff, former U.S. Navy Seal Chris Fussell observed leading through crisis first-hand, leveraging digital platforms to drive effective action across the globe. Together, they now lead the leadership consulting group McChrystal Group and are offering a pre-recorded webinar talk on practical tactics for leading through a crisis – that you can distribute to your audience to watch at their convenience. You can then book a 30-45 minute live, virtual discussion with General McChrystal or Chris Fussell for your group to discuss the material and how they can apply these insights to leadership challenges in their own operating environments. - VIRTUAL OFFERING: Leading Through the COVID-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 Crisis requires leaders to energize, focus, and equip their teams with practical and actionable guidance on how to lead through crisis. Partner with McChrystal Group subject matter experts to leverage a tailored, remote webinar solution that will provide advice from McChrystal Group leaders with experience in crisis management, the opportunity to reinforce your organizations cultural values, and help for your leaders to navigate their “new normal.”
Webinar 1: Leading in Crisis - General (ret.) Stan McChrystal reflects on practical leadership tactics in crisis from his experience commanding the US Counter-terrorist forces while facing a failing fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Webinar 2: Bridging the Organization - How to identify communication gaps and create effective channels and forums.
Webinar 3: Motivating Remote Teams - How to energize and motivate remote teams by utilizing a strategic combination of language, story-telling, and consistent leadership behaviors.
Webinar 4: Develop a Prioritized Plan - How to identify and prioritize critical objectives and activities, coordinate with agencies involved, and build robust contingency plans.
Webinar 5: Pressure-Testing the Plan - How to test the critical assumptions inherent in any plan. This is an essential step before empowering individuals to execute.
Webinar 6: Leadership for a New World - General (ret.) Stan McChrystal reflects on the requirement for new disciplined processes, an in-depth understanding of how your organization actually functions, and a different approach to leadership as we lose the human dynamics of in-office collaboration. - Lessons In Leadership
In dynamic presentations on leadership, General Stan McChrystal shares lessons based on leading and innovating one of the world’s largest organizations. Modern warfare and business demand the same no-nonsense leadership that drives change and implements it across large organizations. He reveals the power of culture, communication, and relationships, sharing stories, experiences, and principles that make his points. Using high-end visuals, McChrystal addresses such key leadership principles as transparency and inclusion, leveraging the power of teams through relationships, leading by influence, relentless mission focus, and sharing a clear vision with everyone who must execute against it. - Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
In this captivating presentation on the significance of teamwork, Gen. McChrystal draws on research conducted for his New York Times best-seller Team of Teams, along with examples from his time leading extremely high-performing teams in wartime, to provide a 360-degree view of the role teamwork plays in today’s success equation. Hitting on the many ingredients of effective teamwork including transparent communication and a decentralized power network that allows for split-second, empowered decision-making, McChrystal’s compelling insights and thought-provoking examples pave the way for real transformation at organizations large and small. - Moderated Conversations On Leadership Or Geopolitical Issues
For the right audiences, General McChrystal will have a conversation with a moderator or business leader that leads to custom insights and dynamic wide-ranging conversations tailored to the audience. This intimate format lends itself to McChrystal’s candid insights, responses, and stories, which draw the audience in and make them part of the dialogue. From lessons learned to observations on current events and the future, McChrystal shares perspectives gained through one of the most legendary military careers, as well as his experiences with business, teaching, and public service. - Leaders: Myth and Reality
In this new speech based on his 2018 book Leaders: Myth and Reality, Gen. McChrystal looks at 13 influential leaders throughout history—from war Generals to business tycoons to civil rights icons and even an al Qaeda despot—to provoke a new and necessary conversation on leadership. McChrystal tackles burning questions around what real leadership is, the roles leaders ought to play, where the kind of leadership that incites loyal followers comes from, and more. A fascinating walk through the past aimed at enlightening and empowering the leaders of our present and future, this speech is ideal for any leader that wants to grow their footprint by empowering their people. - Team of Teams: Lessons in Leadership for Technology Companies
Technology companies face an unprecedented rate of change, challenging both established firms and startups alike. An organization’s ability to innovate with speed and agility dictates its success in this cutting-edge industry, where the competition for capital, talent, and the next big idea is intense. General Stanley McChrystal shares his operating solutions researched in his New York Times best-seller Team of Teams to release the full potential for technology companies of all types, enabling communication at scale, reinvigorating stagnant cultures, and ultimately institutionalizing innovation. His Team of Teams approach serves as the catalyst new firms need to effectively pivot their organization towards execution of a new strategy, a framework for high-growth companies to scale smartly, retaining the magic of small teams while growing into a more mature organization, and a roadmap for mature companies to own their futures by creating an innovative culture. - Team of Teams: Lessons in Leadership for Healthcare
Patients are living longer, funding systems are becoming more complicated, and the healthcare space is calling for greater innovation under enormous constraints. General McChrystal provides healthcare audiences with strategies to cope with exactly this type of dynamic environment. McChrystal draws on research conducted for his New York Times best-seller Team of Teams, along with examples from his time leading extremely high-performing teams in wartime, to provide a framework for healthcare companies to strengthen their organizations in the face of industry upheaval and build adaptable, interconnected networks that are capable of seamlessly collaborating and innovating to solve emergent challenges. - Team of Teams: Lessons in Leadership for Financial Services
The financial services industry has experienced particularly intense turmoil, disruption, and change over the past decade. Between regulatory changes, quickly evolving technologies, and increased public scrutiny, senior leaders face incredible churn. And the speed at which the industry moves is only intensifying. General McChrystal provides financial services audiences with strategies to cope with this environment, to connect the dots between teams, quickly pivot to face any challenge, and create a positive, lasting culture, increasing value for clients along the way. Drawing on research conducted for his New York Times best-seller Team of Teams, along with examples from his time leading extremely high-performing teams in wartime, McChrystal shares his strategic alignment process to identify new revenue opportunities, operations and communications solutions to improve cross-functional communication, and leadership development and team building to optimize performance and build an impactful culture.
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