Published: Jan. 26, 2022

Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general and former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force—Joint Special Operations Command—will share his battle-tested leadership views during an on-campus talk Feb. 28.

McChrystal, co-author of the book Risk: A User’s Guide, is the sixth speaker in CU Boulder’s Leo Hill Leadership Speaker Series, a signature program of the Center for Leadership overseen by Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano.

During his talk “Leadership in Times of Uncertainty,” McChrystal will share what he calls 10 dimensions of control that people can act upon when things don’t go as planned.

The talk is open to the public, and tickets are $2 for CU Boulder students, $10 for faculty and staff, and $20 for community members. Tickets will be available beginning Jan. 26.

“As a nation, and particularly in our local community, we have had to face numerous challenges the past couple of years,” DiStefano said. “Leadership at all levels is critical in working through these challenges. Stan’s expertise in leadership is highly sought after, and we are extremely grateful to spend an evening with him.”

In addition to co-authoring the book Risk: A User’s Guide, McChrystal is the author of New York Times bestsellers, My Share of the Task and Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. He also co-authored Leaders: Myth and Reality, a Wall Street Journal bestseller.

He 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.

Throughout his military career, McChrystal commanded a number of elite organizations, including the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. He spent more than six years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions, including serving as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and NATO International Security Assistance Force. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On Aug. 1, 2010, he retired from the U.S. Army.

The speaker series is brought to campus by the Quigg and Virginia S. Newton Endowed Chair in Leadership.

General Stanley McChrystal