McChrystal Group

Think decisive leaders drive success? Try again. Recent insights from Naomi Rothman of Lehigh University reveal that the best leaders don't charge ahead with unwavering certainty. Instead, embracing ambivalence—the ability to hold and consider conflicting viewpoints— is emerging as a critical leadership trait. But recognizing ambivalence is just the beginning. Leaders must adopt a more nuanced approach to cultivate a thriving organizational culture. Embracing ambivalence allows leaders to navigate complexity with a balanced perspective. The "Lead Like a Gardener Model" can help harness and scale ambivalence effectively. This model emphasizes: 💠 Breaking Up Hard Soil: Challenging entrenched behaviors and outdated processes to foster innovation. 💠 Planting Seeds in the Right Place: Aligning team members' unique strengths with organizational needs. 💠 Ensuring Essential Nutrients Are Available: Providing teams with the necessary resources and authority to excel. This gardening metaphor extends beyond ambivalence, advocating for leaders to cultivate environments where teams can adapt and thrive amidst uncertainty. Ambivalence is vital to the gardener's mindset, characterized by adaptability, resilience, and empowered execution. Explore this transformative leadership model: https://lnkd.in/eR_F4Y9A. #Leadership #TeamOfTeams #McChrystalGroup #LeadLikeAGardener #ExecutiveLeadership #OrganizationalAgility

Is this a live look of your hybrid meetings? Between juggling Slack messages, Zoom calls, Teams pings, and the “Can you hear me?” moments, hybrid communication can feel… like hybrid chaos. But here’s the truth: It doesn’t have to be. Leaders who master remote communication drive clarity, build trust, and actually get things done—without feeling like the air traffic controller from "Airplane." Christopher Fussell pulled together 10 Best Practices to help leaders navigate hybrid environments and keep their teams aligned (and sane): https://lnkd.in/gXsUKPcU Because leadership shouldn’t feel like you’re coordinating a moon landing every time you run a meeting. Happy Fri-YAY! #FriYay #HybridLeadership #RemoteCommunication #SharedConsciousness #TeamOfTeams

Has your organization built a Team of Teams? We want to hear your story. As part of the 10th anniversary of Team of Teams, The Leader’s Journal is featuring stories from leaders who have built adaptable, high-trust organizations that execute at speed. Your story could inspire fellow leaders facing today’s toughest leadership challenges. Submit your story here: https://bit.ly/ToT_Stories Let’s learn from each other—and build the next generation of Teams of Teams. Sign up for The Leader's Journal and get our latest insights delivered to your inbox every other Thursday: https://lnkd.in/erN5aipa

Trust is not a warm-and-fuzzy concept. It’s a hard requirement for teams that must make high-stakes decisions quickly. But trust isn’t built on feelings alone. It's built on three measurable factors. Most leaders believe trust is either there or it’s not. But the reality is that trust is earned—and eroded—through three critical components: 🔹 Reliability — Do you follow through every time? 🔹 Competence — Are you actually good at what you do? 🔹 Benevolence — Do people believe you have their best interest at heart? The takeaway? You don’t need all three in every moment. But context matters. Your people are constantly assessing which one they need most from you—and if they’re not getting it, trust fractures. Meghan Bourne explains how this works in real teams in our #MGWeeklyWhiteboard: https://lnkd.in/eF9G9sb4

Is Your Organization Built to Adapt? The landscape moves faster than ever, and the rules and norms of the game are changing. Traditional operating models simply aren’t fast or flexible enough to keep pace. The disruptors gaining ground aren’t necessarily smarter. They’re more adaptable. The Leader’s Journal is launching a year-long series in honor of the 10th Anniversary of Team of Teams dedicated to helping leaders build trust, common purpose, shared consciousness, and empowered execution. Our first articles are already live, covering how misaligned communication kills execution and why trust is the currency of speed. Don’t miss out—subscribe to The Leader’s Journal today: https://lnkd.in/es8AbHUT

Time Change Got You Like… Between shifting clocks, endless priorities, and the relentless pace of leadership, even the most seasoned exec can feel like collapsing by Friday. But here’s the thing—burnout isn’t just about hours worked. It’s about decision fatigue, priority paralysis, and carrying the weight of competing demands without a clear path forward. The fix? Common Purpose. When leaders clarify why the work matters, teams move faster, decisions are easier, and the mental load lightens. Before you pack it in for the weekend, give yourself (and your team) the gift of focus: https://lnkd.in/eF6hRSbD Clarity isn’t just a productivity hack—it’s how great leaders stave off burnout and keep winning. #FriYay #CommonPurpose #LeadershipClarity #SharedConsciousness #Priorities

Are you driving engagement or just chasing consensus? They’re two very different approaches with two very different outcomes. We often hear leaders say they want more engagement from their teams. But here’s a common trap: confusing consensus with engagement. The truth? People don’t need everyone to agree with them. What they do need is to feel heard, respected, and valued during the decision-making process—even if the final call doesn’t go their way. In this week’s Weekly Whiteboard, we break down a simple tool we teach leaders: Phase One and Phase Two Decision-Making. ➡️ Phase One: Create space for input, identify the problem, and weigh options. ➡️ Phase Two: Make a decision, commit, and communicate clearly. Leaders who clarify these two phases build trust, strengthen engagement, and make faster, more effective decisions. Learn how to build a culture of engagement without falling into the consensus trap: https://lnkd.in/eiPaKNX9 #Leadership #DecisionMaking #TeamEngagement #OrganizationalCulture #McChrystalGroup

“To handle uncertainty effectively, you need to prepare for it constantly.” Doug Sieg’s reflection from his firm’s Town Hall with General Stan McChrystal last week captures a core leadership truth we’ve seen time and again. Preparation isn’t just about planning; it’s about building trust, strengthening relationships, and empowering teams before uncertainty arrives. That’s what allows organizations to navigate complexity and ambiguity with clarity and confidence. We’re grateful to partner with Doug and the Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC team as they continue to invest in their leaders and foster a culture of trust and readiness.

Great leaders don't just happen. They are deliberately developed. Yet, many organizations continue to invest in leader development programs that fall short. Why? Because exceptional leader development isn't about checking boxes—it's about differentiation. Our research has identified six critical differentiators that set impactful leader development programs apart from the rest. But beyond the basics, leader development must be directly tied to strategic outcomes. It’s not merely about improving individuals—it’s about enhancing your organization's overall performance and resilience. When leaders grow strategically, so does your organization's ability to navigate uncertainty, drive innovation, and accelerate execution. Curious how to elevate your leader development program from routine to remarkable? Read more by David Livingston, Ed.D.: https://bit.ly/4cSwTY3.

Does it feel like you're talking, but your people aren't truly hearing you? You're not alone. In fact, 74% of people struggle with communication at work. Today’s leaders face unprecedented challenges in communicating effectively across the most diverse and dispersed workforce in history. With five generations working together, along with differences in language, culture, and geography, traditional top-down messaging simply falls short. A Grammarly-commissioned study conducted by The Harris Poll revealed that miscommunication costs U.S. businesses an estimated $1.2 trillion annually. Meanwhile, organizations with clear and relevant communication see dramatic results: McChrystal Group found that employees who perceive communication as effective are 80% more likely to be engaged, unlocking higher performance across diverse and dispersed teams. A strong, aligning narrative is critical for overcoming these communication challenges. Inspired by lessons from the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command detailed in Christopher Fussell’s "One Mission," a compelling narrative goes beyond merely instructing teams what to do—it establishes clear, aspirational outcomes. This narrative empowers leaders at every level to adapt messaging effectively, ensuring autonomy and alignment even in complex, unpredictable environments. Looking to align your narrative and strengthen communication? Read more: https://lnkd.in/eiK5ZYiP #TeamofTeams #OneMission #AligningNarrative #StrategyExecution