McChrystal Group

Building trust is the highest form of #winning. Winning isn’t just about hitting targets, closing deals, or leading the scoreboard—it’s about building something that lasts. And in leadership, that means trust. Without trust, even the best strategy falls apart. With trust, even the hardest challenges become winnable. Great leaders know: ?? Trust > Authority ?? Trust > Speed ?? Trust > Control Trust isn’t a soft skill; it’s the foundation of high-performing teams. It fuels collaboration, accelerates decision-making, and turns short-term wins into long-term success. Before you fly off into the weekend, take a second to invest in yourself and build trust that drives performance: https://lnkd.in/em7Bx4b7 #FunFriday #FriYAY #Winning #Trust #LeadershipThatLasts #ZachGalifianakis

Is your organization’s messaging like dry toast—bland, forgettable, and hard to swallow? Too often, leaders focus on what they want people to know or do but overlook how they want them to feel. That’s a problem because emotions drive meaningful action. The Know-Feel-Do framework (AKA the Know-Feel-Do Sandwich) transforms stale communication into messaging that resonates, aligns teams, and fuels execution. Without it, your message gets lost in the noise—leading to confusion, misalignment, and stalled progress. Think about the last major initiative you rolled out. ? Did your team just hear the words? ? Or did they feel the urgency and purpose behind them? If your messaging isn’t inspiring action, it’s just dry toast, not a sandwich. Stop serving toast. Start communicating: https://lnkd.in/eiK5ZYiP #Leadership #Narraitve #KnowFeelDo #StrategyExecution #TeamAlignment #TeamofTeams #McChrystalGroup

Progress in addressing the overdose crisis is possible when leaders across sectors come together. Over the past year, overdose deaths have begun to decline—a testament to the power of collaboration across public health, law enforcement, behavioral health, and economic development. As Rajiv J. Shah highlights, our partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation brought together leaders from across central Appalachia to explore how unlikely partnerships can drive real change. At #McChrystalGroup, we believe in breaking down silos and scaling solutions that create lasting impact. We’re proud to support those working on the frontlines of this crisis and will continue to help leaders navigate complexity and drive meaningful outcomes.

The Chief of Staff role is constantly evolving. How do you stay ahead? The Chief of Staff Playbook provides proven frameworks, actionable insights, and real-world strategies to help Chiefs lead with clarity, align stakeholders, and empower teams. ?? Inside the playbook, you’ll learn: ? How to push decision-making out and down for speed and agility ? Ways to empower cross-functional teams to execute with impact ? Techniques to bridge the gap between strategy and execution Being a Chief of Staff means embracing the ambiguity of the role and driving meaningful change across the organization. The Chief of Staff Playbook gives you the tools to deliver results: https://lnkd.in/ebqFr4Sj

Friday Status Check! How’d your week go? Tell us with a gif, meme or emoji in the comments. We'll go first.. Congratulations on making it to Fri-YAY! But before you sprint into the weekend, let’s take stock. High-performing teams don’t just move from one week to the next They pause, reflect, and adapt. A good After-Action Review (AAR) isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. So, let’s do a quick one: ?? What went well? ?? What was a total disaster? ?? What will you do differently next week? Drop that meme, emoji or GIF in the comments to describe your week. (The funnier, the better! BUT...Keep it clean ya filthy animals) If you’re ready to take your team’s AARs beyond the meme phase, check this out: https://lnkd.in/e5kSZSYk #FunFriday #FriYAY #StatusCheck #SharedConsciousness #AAR

It's always about the people. We want to celebrate the work anniversaries of some incredible teammates who continue to make a lasting impact. Their dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence remind us of a simple truth: an organization’s greatest asset isn’t its strategy, technology, or processes—it’s its people. Longevity in a company isn’t just about tenure; it’s about the relationships built, the lessons learned, and the difference made. Each year represents a chapter filled with challenges overcome, successes achieved, and new heights reached together. To those celebrating a milestone this month—thank you. Your contributions shape who we are, and your leadership, drive, and teamwork inspire us all. If you haven’t done so already, take a moment today to recognize the people around you. A simple “thank you” can go a long way. #Leadership #Teamwork #PeopleFirst #WorkAnniversary #ThankYou

Trust isn’t built in a crisis. It’s tested. In moments of uncertainty, trust is either your greatest asset or your biggest liability. We’ve all seen what happens when leaders lose trust: teams disengage, alignment fractures, and execution suffers. But what about when leaders actively build trust before a crisis hits? That’s where resilience thrives. Our team has studied the most effective trust-building strategies in complex environments. Here’s what works: ?? Consistency over time – Trust isn’t a one-time achievement; it’s built through repeated, reliable actions. Leaders who communicate clearly and follow through create stability, even in turbulent times. ?? Clarity of purpose – People trust what they understand. Organizations that openly define their mission, decision-making process, and expectations reduce uncertainty and increase buy-in. ?? Truth over reassurance – Telling people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear, fosters credibility. The best leaders deliver the hard truths while providing a path forward. Trust isn’t just a leadership buzzword—it’s the foundation of execution, culture, and performance. Learn how to build trust in a mistrusting world here: https://lnkd.in/em7Bx4b7

Great teams don’t just happen. They’re built on one conversation, one decision, and one shared goal at a time. But in a world of shifting priorities, hybrid teams, and information overload, how do you actually get people aligned and moving in the same direction? We’ve worked with leaders across industries, and one thing is clear: alignment isn’t an accident—it’s a choice. And it starts with common purpose. Check out the seven guiding principles to help leaders cut through the noise, inspire their teams, and drive results: https://lnkd.in/ek8CZsnc It’s not about empty mission statements or feel-good slogans. Common purpose ensures every team member sees how their role creates collective impact. #TeamofTeams #CommonPurpose #McChrystalGroup

Character has long been the subject of serious thought. Marcus Aurelius identified it as the sum of your thoughts, feelings, and actions over time. It is who you are and the only thing you truly own. At its most basic, character is the essence of what is “us.” It both defines and is defined by what we do. But it is also something greater than the sum of our actions. Contemplating character is not new, but it’s helpful to understand what other thoughtful people have concluded. Aristotle connected character with virtue, celebrating those who could maximize their virtues — which he defined as courage, justice, prudence, and temperance — while limiting their vices. Confucius extolled wisdom, benevolence, and courage, and identified the principle of ren: a combination of compassion, empathy, and humanity. Our journey to character is not a simple one. We should mine the wisdom and experience of others, but ultimately defining character and charting our journey is up to us. We must examine ideas and develop convictions that become a mirror of our soul and a lens through which we view life — then use them to create the person we’d like to be, and attempt to be that. Put even more simply, it’s a choice and a discipline. #OnCharacter https://lnkd.in/ew2WVHcq

Trying to figure out where the week went like... One moment, it’s Monday, and you’re setting big goals. Next thing you know, it’s Friday, and you’re wondering if time actually speeds up when you’re in back-to-back meetings. (Science still hasn’t ruled it out.) We believe in Shared Consciousness, which is a fancy way of saying that when teams communicate effectively and learn from each other, they stay ahead of the chaos instead of constantly reacting to it. But even the best teams need to pause, reflect, and reset. So before you jump into the weekend, ask yourself: ?? What did I learn this week? ?? What risks did we think we were managing vs. the ones that surprised us? ?? How can we avoid the same scramble next Friday? Want to stop playing catch-up? Check out these insights to turn frantic Fridays into focused ones: ?? The Hidden Cost of Failing to Learn: https://lnkd.in/e5kSZSYk ?? Shared Consciousness: https://lnkd.in/ePMqS627 ?? Risk Playbook: Rethinking Risk: https://lnkd.in/ez5DrzXb Happy Fri-YAY! #SharedConsciousness #AfterActionReview #RiskPlaybook #FunFriday #FriYAY