General Stan McChrystal on Anti-War Americans, Pushing Your Limits, and The Three Military Tests You Should Take
MAZAR-E-SHARIFF, Afghanistan (March 15, 2010)–U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, works on board a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft between Battlefield Circulation missions. (NATO photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released)
“Push yourself harder than you think you’re capable of. You’ll find new depth inside yourself.”
– Stanley McChrystal
Stanley McChrystal (@StanleyMcChrystal) retired from the U.S. Army as a four-star general after more than 34 years of service. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates described McChrystal as “perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met.”
From 2003 to 2008, McChrystal served as Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The follow-up questions are really fun. In this particular episode, he answers questions such as:
If he could put a billboard anywhere and write anything on it, where would it be and what would it say?
What are three tests/practices from the military that civilians could use to help develop mental toughness?
What are his favorite documentaries or movies? Why?
What $100 or less purchase has most positively impacted his life in the last twelve months and why?
These are a bunch of questions from you guys! Thank you for submitting your questions and requesting for this follow-up segment. Still want more? Please feel free to learn more about the McChrystal Group at their website.
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here
Download both as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear my interview with Stanley McChrystal and his former aid du camp, Chris Fussell? — You can listen to our two-hour-long conversation and see the show notes here. In this episode, we discuss eating one meal per day, special ops, and mental toughness (stream below or right-click here to download):
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It’s that easy. Enjoy!
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What is your perception of U.S. military team efficiency? How about U.S. military team effectiveness? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
The Road to Character by David Brooks
Watch The Battle of Algiers, Stanley McChrystal’s favorite documentary
Show Notes
What are 3 tests or practices from the military that civilians can use to help develop mental toughness? [3:04]
What is the greatest attribute of an excellent soldier that you wish all politicians had? [3:50]
What was your biggest frustration with being in the military? What is your biggest frustration being out of the military? [4:22]
What is the Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, and Analyze (F3EA) methodology? How did your approach change over time? [5:10]
What can low to mid-level management do to encourage a more decentralized, agile, and flexible work environment? [8:45]
What is one thing you want average Americans, particularly anti-war Americans, to understand regarding wars and conflicts you’ve been involved in or about the military in general? [8:35]
What is something that you see in military movies, or movies involving the military that drives you crazy? [10:20]
What filters can the public use to sift through the noise of news to a feel for the real truth being the stories? [10:45]
What $100 or less purchase has most positively impacted your life in the last 6 months? [11:45]
What is one of your favorite documentaries or movies and why? [12:25]
If you could put a billboard anywhere and write anything on it, one billboard, where would it be and what would it say? [13:40]
