General Stanley McChrystal

Retired four-star general Stan McChrystal has studied leadership his whole adult life, from his first day at West Point to his most recent work with the corporate clients of the McChrystal Group.

In this follow-up to his bestsellers My Share of the Task and Team of Teams, McChrystal explores what leadership really means, debunking the many myths that have surrounded the concept.  Drawing upon Plutarch’s Parallel Lives he focuses on thirteen great leaders, showing that the lessons we commonly draw from their lives are seldom the correct ones. Not all are necessarily heroes and some may appear very different to the myths surrounding them.

Ultimately, McChrystal posits that different environments will require different leaders, and that followers will choose the leader they need. Aspiring leaders will be best served not by cultivating a standard set of textbook leadership qualities, but by learning to discern what is required in each situation.