#70: General (Ret.) Stan McChrystal — How to Lead Well in All Areas of Your Life

August 14, 2021 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

This episode is brought to you by HigherEchelon, Inc. HigherEchelon is a leadership development & organizational performance consulting firm providing human capital and technology services to optimize performance. HigherEchelon can help prepare your organization to meet the rapidly changing, complex and often ambiguous requirements of today’s world by developing Resilient and Adaptive leaders, modernizing and enhancing processes, and implementing transformational technology solutions. Visit HigherEchelon.com to connect with the amazing team at Higher Echelon and learn more about how they can help you and your team. Check out this great interview of HigherEchelon’s President, Dr. Joe Ross, on the Beyond the Uniform podcast.

General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal founded McChrystal Group in January 2011 to deliver innovative leadership solutions to businesses globally in order to help them transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. As Founder and a Partner, he advises senior executives at multinational corporations on navigating complex change and building stronger teams.

A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture.

Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army.

Stan is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches a course on Leadership. He also sits on the boards of Navistar International Corporation, Siemens Government Technology, and JetBlue Airways. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership to organizations around the country. In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. Stan also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller based on the epochal Parallel Lives by Plutarch.

My Share of the Task: A Memoir

By McChrystal, Stanley Gen.

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

By McChrystal, Gen. Stanley, Collins, Tantum, Silverman, David, Fussell, Chris

Leaders: Myth and Reality

By McChrystal, Stanley, Eggers, Jeff, Mangone, Jay

A passionate advocate for national service and veterans’ issues, Stan is the Chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance. In this capacity, he advocates for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.

Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.

On this episode, we talk about:

General McChrystal’s father, Herbert McChrystal
How to keep your ego in check as a leader
How he was able to turn around his time at West Point through the inspiration of a mentor
How he was able to successfully transition into the private sector after an unexpected end to his military career
The balance between confidence and humility
What he views as the most important leadership trait
Why leadership is always a choice we make
Leadership as a entrepreneur
How he thinks about meetings
His views on decision making
The habit, routine, or ritual that has made the biggest positive difference for him
His top marriage/relationship advice
His top parenting advice
His top advice to a graduating college student

In October 2021, General McChrystal’s new book will be released, Risk: A User’s Guide.

Risk: A User's Guide

By McChrystal, Stanley, Butrico, Anna

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#63: Ben Kotwica (NFL Coach) — On Coaching, Excellence, and Resilience

May 08, 2021 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Ben as an Apache Helicopter Pilot in the Army

Today, I’m really excited to have Ben Kotwica join the show for Episode 63! Ben is a West Point graduate, former Apache helicopter pilot, and former NFL coach for the New York Jets, the Washington Football Team, and the Atlanta Falcons.

On this episode he shares with us what makes a really great coach, the difference between the good and great players at the NFL level, his experience with Coach Rex Ryan, and some awesome habits that he has picked up along the way. Please let us know what you think!

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#59: MG (Ret.) John Gronski — Iron-Sharpened Leadership

March 15, 2021 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

John L. Gronski, Major General (U.S. Army Retired) is founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a keynote speaker, leadership seminar facilitator, executive coach, author, and director of the leadership academy for student-athletes at Lebanon Valley College. John is a Certified DISC Practitioner and he serves on the Academic Advisory Council for Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies.

John has earned a superb reputation as a leadership and peak performance expert, a motivational storyteller, and a much sought-after speaker and leadership seminar facilitator. His presentations feature inspirational stories and wisdom gained from his own leadership experience and the experience of others.

John has provided leadership assessments, training and/or keynote addresses to many large organizations and companies including NATO, General Dynamics, Nutanix, PNC Bank, the United States Army, the National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point, Pennsylvania National Guard, Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network, PECO Energy, Exelon, Comcast, the YMCA, the Freedom Alliance, Penn State University, Drexel University, Widener University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Wilkes University, Lebanon Valley College, Albert Einstein Health Network, Buckman’s Inc., Delaware Valley Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Schlouch Inc., Boy Scouts of America, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce, the Kulski Foundation, the USO, Rotary International, VFW, and the Young Presidents Organization.

John is the author of the inspirational leadership book, “The Ride of Our Lives – Lessons on Life, Leadership, and Love”. The book tells the inspiring story about a family on a transformational journey as they bicycled across the USA. This was 1983, no ubiquitous mobile phones, internet, email, Google, nor social media sites. The closest thing to connectivity was a payphone along a dusty road.

Through the journey they camped in a variety of places including farmer’s fields, state parks, behind churches and schools, town parks, fairgrounds, and even fraternity houses, John and Berti Gronski and their 15-month-old son Stephen experienced the best of Americans. John shares the lessons learned on this adventure that made a lasting impact on his leadership philosophy over the following decades as a military officer, combat Veteran, and business leader.

The Ride of Our Lives: Lessons on Life, Leadership, and Love

By Gronski, John

John is a proven combat leader with over forty years’ service in the United States Army including active duty and in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard where he led units at the company, battalion, brigade, and division level. His significant military assignments include serving as a Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe where he helped lead 30,000 Soldiers; Commanding General of the 28th Infantry Division (ID) where he led approximately 15,000 Soldiers; Brigade Commander of 2nd Brigade, 28th ID in Ramadi Iraq where he led 5,000 Soldiers and Marines in combat; Brigade Commander of 55th Brigade 28th ID where he led over 2,000 Soldiers on an overseas deployment to Europe; and Military Liaison Team Chief in Lithuania where he led a team of American and Lithuanian military personnel and civilians.

John is a graduate of numerous military schools to include the U.S. Army War College, the Command and General Staff Course, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Ranger School, and Airborne School. His military awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, and Basic Parachutist Badge. John has also been awarded the National Infantry Association Order of Saint Maurice in the rank of Primicerius; The Association of the United States Army McLain Medal; the Republic of Lithuania Medal of Merit; the Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania; and the Golden Medal of the Polish Armed Forces.

In the private sector, John worked for many years at a family business, Paul Gronski Enterprises Inc., and then worked as a management consultant for approximately thirteen years with Greencastle Associates Consulting where he led implementation teams for Fortune 500 companies in the telecommunications, health care, and utility industries.

John is a graduate of the University of Scranton where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Penn State University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. John has attended Alvernia University as a doctoral student in the corporate leadership program. He has been certified as a Project Management Professional and he holds a master certificate as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University.

John is the recipient of the Frank J. O’Hara Award in the Government Service Category, the highest award bestowed jointly by the University of Scranton and the Alumni Society. He is a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award and James E. West Award. The Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars presented the prestigious Eagle Award to John in recognition for his combat service and his leadership of the 28th Infantry Division. John was awarded the Washington Crossing Foundation Award by the Washington Crossing Foundation for service and dedication to the ideals of our Founding Fathers.

John was raised by his father, a single parent, and was the youngest of seven children. John has an entrepreneurial mindset. His father, a WWII Veteran, opening a garage and used car business after returning from the war, and John grew up understanding the need to provide customer service in order to grow a business. His father grew the small business into a large enterprise that became a landmarking Northeast Pennsylvania.

John is a thoughtful leader and he has a reputation as a servant leader.

John’s new book, Iron-Sharpened Leadership, is now available for pre-order below:

Iron-Sharpened Leadership: Transforming Hard Fought Lessons Into Action

By Gronski, John L.

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#20: Q&A with Ryan Brence - Football, Ranger School, and Servant Leadership

November 13, 2019 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

Packed with great stories of overcoming adversity and incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspiration, this episode will not disappoint!

Packed with great stories of overcoming adversity and incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspiration, this episode will not disappoint!

Ryan Brence grew up playing big time Texas high school football. He is the son of a very successful Texas high school football coach in Plano, TX, and he shares lessons he learned watching his dad lead a football team.

Ryan is a husband, father, West Point Graduate, former Army Football player, winner of the Black Lion Award, Army Ranger, and he currently works as a business development manager for TDIndustries in Dallas, TX. TDIndustries teaches servant leadership and is a Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For: TDIndustries Awards.

Ryan shares stories of overcoming adversity in football and Ranger School. He shares practical ways in which he lives an intentional life, and he shares lessons he learned on servant leadership from his dad and his work at TDIndustries.

Ryan references the following book during the episode:

The Power of Consistency: Prosperity Mindset Training for Sales and Business Professionals

By Long, Weldon

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