In my life as a soldier and citizen, I have seen time and time again that inaction has dire consequences.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
There's an art to asking questions. Briefings are valuable but normally communicate primarily what the subordinate leader wants you to know, and often the picture they provide is incomplete.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of asking questions to gain a complete understanding of a situation.
Stanley A. McChrystal highlights the significance of inquiry in leadership and communication. While briefings can provide useful information, they may also be biased or one-dimensional, reflecting only what the presenter deems important. By encouraging questions, leaders can uncover deeper insights and ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.
Themes
QuestionsLeadershipCommunicationUnderstandingInquiry
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting, I might say, 'As McChrystal suggests, we should prioritize asking questions to fully grasp the project's scope.'
More from Stanley A. Mcchrystal
All quotes βI was raised to believe that soldiers were strong and wise and brave and faithful; they didn't lie, cheat, steal or abandon their comrades.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
I was raised with traditional stories of leadership: Robert E. Lee, John Buford at Gettysburg. And I also was raised with personal examples of leadership. This was my father in Vietnam. And I was raised to believe that soldiers were strong and wise and brave and faithful; they didn't lie, cheat, steal, or abandon their comrades.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
When you go through some controversy and you see your face on the news in a negative way for 48 hours... you doubt yourself. And your friends make the difference. They become a safety net that come in and say, 'That's not the case.' And the relationships that you've built... come to the fore.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
The basic DNA we've got to implant in leaders now is adaptability: not to get wedded to the solution to a particular problem, because not only the problem but the solution changes day to day. Creating people who are hardwired for that is going to be our challenge for the future.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
If every soldier is authorized to make one mistake, then we lose the war.
Stanley A. McchrystalRead
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