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May 20, 2025 72 mins

In this episode, we are honored to have a conversation with General Stanley McChrystal, a legendary military leader. We delve deep into his thoughts on the importance of negotiation in the military, his experiences leading JSOC operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the crucial role of character in leadership. General McChrystal shares valuable insights from his new book, 'On Character: Choices That Define a Life,' and discusses the intricate art of negotiation, from dealing with heads of state to commanding elite special forces, and the value of relationships in both military and civilian spheres.


Read the General's New Book: https://bit.ly/3F1aGfx


00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview

01:36 General McChrystal's Book: On Character

03:46 Leadership and Team Dynamics in Special Operations

06:34 The Hunt for Al-Qaeda Leader Zarqawi

12:12 Building Trust and Managing Risk in Military Operations

20:00 Interagency Collaboration and Negotiation

34:17 Challenges of Leading International Forces in Afghanistan

36:14 Navigating International Military Partnerships

38:53 The Importance of National Character

42:23 Building Trust with President Karzai

47:41 Challenges in Command and Communication

51:22 Reflections on Leadership and Negotiation

51:56 The Need for Character in Politics

01:01:52 Negotiating with Difficult Parties

01:10:23 Lessons from Military History

01:11:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


Host Stan Christensen has spent his career working as a professional negotiator in a variety of arenas. He has also taught a popular course on negotiation at Stanford University for over twenty years. #Negotiation #Stanleymcchrystal #StanChristensen

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