General Stan McChrystal on the Importance of Your Character

On this episode of The One Big Thing, I had the honor of sitting down with General Stanley McChrystal. You may know him as one of the most respected military leaders of our time, but in our conversation, we focused less on medals and missions and more on the thing that truly defines a life: character.

We talked about what it means to be a father, a grandfather, and a human being trying to live out your values in a complicated world. Stan shares how character isn't something we inherit—it's something we choose. And we don't just choose it once—we choose it daily, especially in the hard moments when no one else is watching.

We also got into:

• Why your example matters more than your achievements
• How to hold fast to who you are—even when the world feels loud, divided, and chaotic
• What Stan learned from leading soldiers in war and grandkids in peacetime
• How his book On Character: Choices That Define a Life came to be (and why it might help you rethink your own convictions)

Whether you're a parent, a leader, or someone simply trying to do the next right thing, I think this episode will meet you right where you are. This conversation reminded me that we all have a say in the kind of person we become—and that it’s never too late to start making better choices.

🧠 Your one big thing today? Character isn’t what you say—it’s who you are when no one’s looking. And you own that.

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About Stanley McChrystal

Co-Founder of McChrystal Group

Former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan Former Leader of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)

Author of My Share of the Task: A Memoir, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, Leaders: Myth and Reality, Risk: A User’s Guide, and Character: Choices that Define a Life.

A one-of-a-kind leader with a new perspective on collaboration and teamwork, General Stan McChrystal is known for helping organizations tap into the potential of their people to better compete in a complex and interconnected world.

Following thirty-four years of service in the U.S. Army—including as commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and commander of the nation’s premier counter-terrorism force— General McChrystal delivers his unique blend of on-theground experience with decades of leadership to provide practical insight and wisdom to help organizations transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments.

General McChrystal now leads the McChrystal Group as its founder and CEO, which helps organizations of all types transform how their people, processes, and technology work together to unlock greater speed and adaptability. As the author of several best-selling books, General McChrystal latest examines the character of leaders and what makes someone who they are and, importantly, how they will be remembered.

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