General Stanley A. McChrystal: Listen, Learn then Lead
General Stanley McChrystal is one of the most controversial General Officers to serve in a United States Uniform during the past 50 years.
"I learned that leaders can let you fail, and not be a failure"
His comments in the video are very useful to the modern leader who must create, as he calls it, a "Shared Sense of Purpose" to accomplish a common goal in a very dynamic, fluid and changing environment. Modern leadership requires leaders who can rapidly bring together different backgrounds, different generations, different agencies and people with very different capability sets.
General McChrystal talks about "the speed" of leadership and the significance of gaining the trust of not just your subordinates, but also those enablers (civilian agencies who you most likely do not have direct authority over) that are essential in mission accomplishment. Depending on the mission, size of the force and distance, leadership may be exercised over great distances and require technology to take the place of face-to-face leadership.
There have been so many changes in technology that McChrystal sees an "Inversion of Expertise". In the past the leader was supposed to be the best and most proficient at everything every Marine in the unit was required to do. McChrystal asks the question "How does a leader stay credible when they haven't done, or are not proficient in the things that their subordinates are doing? How can a leader lead by example?"
According to General McChrystal leaders must become more transparent, more willing to listen and be open to being "reverse mentored from lower".
"A leader isn't good because they are right. A leader is good because they are willing to listen and to trust
"I learned that leaders can let you fail, and not be a failure"
His comments in the video are very useful to the modern leader who must create, as he calls it, a "Shared Sense of Purpose" to accomplish a common goal in a very dynamic, fluid and changing environment. Modern leadership requires leaders who can rapidly bring together different backgrounds, different generations, different agencies and people with very different capability sets.
General McChrystal talks about "the speed" of leadership and the significance of gaining the trust of not just your subordinates, but also those enablers (civilian agencies who you most likely do not have direct authority over) that are essential in mission accomplishment. Depending on the mission, size of the force and distance, leadership may be exercised over great distances and require technology to take the place of face-to-face leadership.
There have been so many changes in technology that McChrystal sees an "Inversion of Expertise". In the past the leader was supposed to be the best and most proficient at everything every Marine in the unit was required to do. McChrystal asks the question "How does a leader stay credible when they haven't done, or are not proficient in the things that their subordinates are doing? How can a leader lead by example?"
According to General McChrystal leaders must become more transparent, more willing to listen and be open to being "reverse mentored from lower".
"A leader isn't good because they are right. A leader is good because they are willing to listen and to trust
Posted by Leading Marines.com at 4/15/2011 10:34 PM 
Categories: Notable Leaders, Combat Leadership
Tags: General Stanley A McChrystal Shared Sense of Purpose speed of leadership Inversion of Expertise reverse mentor
Categories: Notable Leaders, Combat Leadership
Tags: General Stanley A McChrystal Shared Sense of Purpose speed of leadership Inversion of Expertise reverse mentor
Comments