Stanley McChrystal

Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired four-star general in the United States Army and the former commander of the United States Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in Iraq and Afghanistan. McChrystal is an outspoken champion of the importance of leadership and effective teams in modern militaries, as well as in civilian organizations. He is the author of My Share of the Task, a best-selling memoir about his 34 years of military service and his leadership lessons learned on the battlefield.

McChrystal was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is the second son of four boys in a devout Roman Catholic family. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., graduating in 1976. His rise to four-star rank was a slow but steady process over three decades, culminating in his promotion in 2008 and a nomination for a fifth star in 2010.

In addition to his military service, McChrystal has served as a senior vice president at Siemens, worked at Georgetown University, and served as a guest speaker and panelist at various conferences and universities, including Dawson College and the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a fellow at the Yale University Jackson Institute for Global Affairs.

McChrystal is best known for his performance while leading JSOC in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was appointed commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in June 2003 and served in that position until his retirement in August 2010. During this tenure, McChrystal created a culture of "mission command," which emphasized small unit leadership and decentralized decision-making. In his memoir, he reflects on this command style and the importance of building strong and committed teams in order to accomplish missions.

McChrystal's memoir, My Share of the Task, chronicles his 35 years of military service and his leadership lessons learned on the battlefield. Through anecdotes about his professional and personal life, McChrystal shares his experiences of leadership in different contexts, from the battlefield to corporate America. He emphasizes the importance of humility, authenticity, risk taking, empathy, and understanding the interests of all parties. He also stresses the need for strong relationships within any team, from the military to corporations, and the importance of challenging ideas and cultures in order to find success.

McChrystal is an advocate for holistic leadership and provides readers with his insight into what it takes to be an effective leader. He speaks candidly about the importance of humility, creating teams with different perspectives and viewpoints, and using a mission-focused approach to reach success. These techniques and lessons are relevant not only in the military service, but also in many civilian contexts, including the business world.

My Share of the Task is a must-read for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of leadership and team dynamics. McChrystal's experience in the military, his many years in the field, and his successes as a senior military leader provide readers with invaluable insights. His perspective as a leader, his determination to challenge the status quo, and his ability to bring together teams of people from different backgrounds is sure to help all readers gain a better understanding of the importance of effective leadership and organizational cohesion.