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August 25, 2025 56 mins

#226: General Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general, is best known for his leadership as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and as head of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he reshaped counterterrorism efforts and interagency collaboration. Over his decorated military career, he commanded elite units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and spent more than six years deployed to combat following 9/11. In 2009, he was appointed Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF, leading over 150,000 troops from 45 allied nations until his retirement from the Army in 2010.

After retiring from military service, McChrystal founded the McChrystal Group in 2011, a leadership advisory firm that works with global businesses to help them navigate complexity and build stronger, more adaptive teams. He has also served as a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he taught courses on leadership. In addition, he sits on the boards of several major companies, including JetBlue Airways, Siemens Government Technology, and Navistar International, and is a highly sought-after public speaker on leadership, organizational culture, and team dynamics.

McChrystal is also a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, with works including My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, and Leaders: Myth and Reality, Risk, & On Character. A strong advocate for service and veteran affairs, he chairs the Board of Service Year Alliance, promoting national service opportunities for young Americans. A graduate of West Point and the Naval War College, McChrystal has also completed fellowships at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations, further shaping his perspective on leadership, strategy, and civic responsibility.

His newest book On Character: Choices that Define a Life can be found in the link below as well as www.mcchrystalgroup.com, Amazon, and where all books are sold. 

For more on General McChrystal check out www.mcchrystalgroup.com 

Enjoy the show! 

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