Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal shared his experiences as a leader in the U.S. military at a conference in Washington, D.C. Monday. McChrystal discussed his role as commander of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, a post he was fired from last summer. Courtney Subramanian/MEDILL
WASHINGTON – Although he was fired from his post as commander of U.S. forces in
Afghanistan last summer, retired four-star army Gen. Stanley McChrystal offered leadership
lessons that focused on the need for teamwork while lecturing federal employees at the
Excellence in Government Conference Monday.
McChrystal was rebuked for comments attributed to him and his staff disparaging President
Barack Obama’s national security team in a Rolling Stone article, but apparently is back in favor
with the administration. Last month, he was tapped to lead the first lady’s military family support
initiative, Joining Forces.
Focusing on what he called plywood leadership, McChrystal avoided discussion of his dismissal
during his speech, only referencing his retirement in a brief, narrated video he brought to
introduce himself.
Plywood leadership, according to McChrystal, is a leadership theory he created during his time
in Afghanistan, when his troops built everything out of the flexible timber sheets, including his
own bedroom.
McChrystal explained that plywood is flimsy, but becomes stronger when glued together.
He said the same is true in organizations, using his troops as examples. He showed images
of individual soldiers in pieces of layered plywood and said that when “glued together,” they
create “strength in value.”
From that example, he said leaders should learn that they can’t be in charge of everything but
have to rely on others.
The Rolling Stone controversy only emerged during a question and answer session when an
audience member asked why McChrystal decided to retire.
“Whoa, I thought that was pretty obvious,” he joked as the audience laughed.
McChrystal said the article didn’t accurately represent his team, but it made Obama’s job more
difficult. His assessment, he said, was that his job was to make Obama’s job easier so he offered
his resignation.
“I think at times you got to make those kind of calls, because it wasn’t about me. The thing to
remember is it’s about the mission,” he said. “The day I forget that, I shouldn’t be commander
any more.”
He said the role of the media is a valuable one, despite the Rolling Stones publicity.
“If it wasn’t for the transparency and the daylight the media forces, I’m not sure where any of
our institutions would go,” McChrystal said.
“The challenge is that the speed at which things happen now and the competitive nature of
the media means things that got to be recorded [are] often before they can be digested and
considered,” he said.
Fred Mingo, a retired Navy captain and vice president for a government consultant group, said
McChrystal’s forthright attitude in addressing the question was indicative of his leadership skills.
“It showed him as a person and how he worked and operated in the military,” Mingo said.
Rodney Azama, managing director of The Chancellor Group, a consultant company for
international and defense issues, said McChrystal “still has an impact. … It’s just unfortunate
circumstances that caused his exit.”
Azama also commented on McChrystal’s most recent venture as a professor at Yale University,
where he teaches a course on leadership, and said the general is the right person for the job.
“There’s a different between leadership and management,” Azama said. “It’s the human side of
leadership that makes the difference.”
The general concluded the first of three Excellence in Government Conference sessions, which
will recommence July 11 and Nov. 17.