234. Need to Know: Lead With Transparency, Character, and Silence

When it comes to leading a team, there’s no such thing as too much information.

Good leadership is about good communication. And for General Stanley McChrystal, that means creating a culture of free-flowing information: “The goal is to have everyone know everything all the time,” he says.

McChrystal is a retired four-star general, former commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, and a renowned leadership expert. In his experience building cohesive teams in complex environments, he’s discovered that successful teams are built on a “shared consciousness [where] all have a common contextual understanding of what the situation is.” The key to creating that kind of culture, he says, is radical transparency — from leaders and subordinates alike. Whatever your position, “You are responsible for informing other people of things that they need to know,” he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McChrystal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to build shared consciousness within teams, how to communicate across cultural divides, and how to lead with clarity, context, and character.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

General Stanley McChrystal • General McChrystal’s Books: On Character • / Team of Teams155. Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly161. Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You’re Talking To •

Connect:

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Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction

• (02:25) - Building Shared Consciousness

• (06:35) - Leading Across Differences

• (08:15) - Delivering Difficult News

• (10:40) - Communicating in a Virtual World

• (16:39) - Character as an Iterative Practice

• (18:49) - The Final Three Questions

• (23:41) - Conclusion

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