New PN: On Character
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Choices That Define a Lifeby General Stanley McChrystal |
“Our convictions matter because they are the foundation upon which our character rests and they drive our behavior. If matched with the personal discipline to live up to them, our most admirable convictions have extraordinary power to elevate our character and thus our actions."GENERAL STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL |
FROM THE BOOK“If I’m ultimately buried at Arlington National Cemetery, my grave, by regulation—and just like my father’s—will be marked with a 13” x 42” x 4” white marble headstone upon which a maximum of eleven lines of text will record my name, dates of birth and death, military service, final rank, and perhaps the wars in which I served.
On the other side will be my wife’s name and the dates of her life. Those lines are not much to record the essence of who we were, but they aren’t intended to. That reality, more difficult to define, cannot be recorded in dates, accomplishments, or even perceived successes and failures. It is found in our character—the most accurate, and last full measure, of who we choose to be. Every other metric is superfluous. So, this is a book abut character, but one necessarily constructed of my convictions.” |
Brian's Notes
I read this book the day after I read Admiral William H. McRaven’s book, Conquering Crisis.
Admiral McRaven and General McChrystal are two of my favorite leaders and authors.
I’ve created Notes on all five of McRaven’s books, including Make Your Bed (which he published after his commencement address went viral), Sea Stories (his autobiography), The Hero Code, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, and Conquering Crisis.
This is the second Note I’ve done on one of General McChrystal’s books. Check out my Notes on Leaders: Myth and Reality.
As per the back flap of the book: “After thirty-four years of service in the US Army, Stanley McChrystal retired as a four-star general. He was commander of the International Security Assistant Forces in Afghanistan and previously served as commander of the nation’s premier counterterrorism force, the Joint Special Operations Command.”
He’s the author of My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, Leaders, and Risk. He’s also the founder and CEO of McChrystal group, a leadership consulting firm.
This book is, as per the sub-title, all about the choices that define a life and, of course, how to make those choices wisely. (Get a copy here.)
McChrystal says he was originally going to call it What I Think About the Things I Think About—which would have been the perfect title, albeit a little less laconic than what we he went with. The book features dozens of brief essays and is organized in three parts: Conviction, Discipline, and Character.
As you’d expect, it’s packed with Big Ideas. As always, I’m excited to share a few of my favorites and help you apply them to your life TODAY so let’s jump straight in.
P.S. Check out my Notes on books by other Generals: Colin Powell’s It Worked for Me and Jim Mattis’s Call Sign Chaos.
And, check out my Notes on books by other Admirals including: James Stockdale’s Courage Under Fire and Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot, James Stravridis’s To Risk It All, Bob Harward’s The Gouge, and Mike Manazir’s Learn How to Lead to Win.
Admiral McRaven and General McChrystal are two of my favorite leaders and authors.
I’ve created Notes on all five of McRaven’s books, including Make Your Bed (which he published after his commencement address went viral), Sea Stories (his autobiography), The Hero Code, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, and Conquering Crisis.
This is the second Note I’ve done on one of General McChrystal’s books. Check out my Notes on Leaders: Myth and Reality.
As per the back flap of the book: “After thirty-four years of service in the US Army, Stanley McChrystal retired as a four-star general. He was commander of the International Security Assistant Forces in Afghanistan and previously served as commander of the nation’s premier counterterrorism force, the Joint Special Operations Command.”
He’s the author of My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, Leaders, and Risk. He’s also the founder and CEO of McChrystal group, a leadership consulting firm.
This book is, as per the sub-title, all about the choices that define a life and, of course, how to make those choices wisely. (Get a copy here.)
McChrystal says he was originally going to call it What I Think About the Things I Think About—which would have been the perfect title, albeit a little less laconic than what we he went with. The book features dozens of brief essays and is organized in three parts: Conviction, Discipline, and Character.
As you’d expect, it’s packed with Big Ideas. As always, I’m excited to share a few of my favorites and help you apply them to your life TODAY so let’s jump straight in.
P.S. Check out my Notes on books by other Generals: Colin Powell’s It Worked for Me and Jim Mattis’s Call Sign Chaos.
And, check out my Notes on books by other Admirals including: James Stockdale’s Courage Under Fire and Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot, James Stravridis’s To Risk It All, Bob Harward’s The Gouge, and Mike Manazir’s Learn How to Lead to Win.
Big Ideas
01: CHARACTER
02: YOUR LIFE, TAKE TWO
03: BEING OBSESSED
04: WHAT IS A HERO?
05: CLOSING THE GAP
“The first and best victory is to conquer self."PLATO |
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