When the Pope talks, we listen, and you should too. Here, Retired General Stanley McChrystal talks the American experience regarding design, execution, and leadership courtesy of Fast Company. This video was recorded at their recent Innovation Uncensored conference.
Nice
People worthy of his talents and tolerant of his candor (that wouldn’t be you, Michael Hastings–you’ll get yours soon enough) have a lot to gain from his hard-earned insights.
I think the General is doing a great job sharing his skills and experiences in the private sector. I wish him and his group the best.
I think it’s unfair to blame a journalist with the General’s resignation. Regardless of when or how his actions came out, the ultimate decision to remove a skilled leader from his post is the President’s responsibility. He chose to have the General removed. Even if the article never came out actions and words such as that of the General’s staff would have reach the top anyway.
On another note, wishing ill will such as “you’ll get yours…” is very distasteful…
I absolutely do blame this hack for choosing to enter those remarks into the record. If he had any doubt about the commitment or dedication to duty of GEN McChrystal or the staff to whom he shared access, then fine–go with it. If he wanted to paint a picture of the conflict between the tacticians and the strategists, he could have (a) used quotes that would enlighten (rather than tittilate) his audience or (b) explored it in a whole ‘nother article (CENTCOM is this guy’s beat). Near as I could figure, he was just bummed that a man of his achievement could enjoy a Bud Light Lime or a Will Farrell goofball jaunt.
What was apparent in the article and in Master Hastings’ subsequent remarks about it is that he wanted to highlight the estrangement between the military’s General Officers and the current Commander in Chief. As if this is something new. Having wandered the halls of US Embassies in Baghdad and Kabul during the PRIOR administration I can assure you that IT IS NOT. And when our adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan (and the careers of those who led the fight there) are a little more in he past, we’ll hear more about it. From HISTORIANS.
Journalists–TRUE JOURNALISTS–employ a level of discretion appropriate to the level of access they enjoy. Airing ALL the dirty laundry in one fell swoop might make for a good feature, but that is the difference between a HACK and a HISTORIAN. In this Master Hastings proved himself the former.
Far as the propriety (or lack of same) of wishing the guy ill, save it. If I wished for him the fate suffered by Daniel Pearl or Tim Hetherington (TRUE professionals) I would have said so. This guy will have the access he’s proven himself worthy of–for a long time to come–and I WILL confess to enjoying that.