#26: General Ray Odierno, Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army—Three Traits of a Trustworthy Leader

Today’s guest is General Ray Odierno, the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army – which is the top job in the Army. He retired in 2015 as a four-star general and now works in the private sector, consulting on minor little subjects like country risk and cybersecurity

Now it’s one thing to talk about trusting a leader in a workplace setting. But trusting a leader in the military goes up a whole other level, where the stakes can literally be life and death. 

After 39 years of military service, through three tours in Iraq, Ray is absolutely a leader people trust – and he knows how to help others become trustworthy leaders, too. 

He believes there are three key qualities, and we dig into each one in this incredible conversation.

You’ll also learn:

• One practical tip to become a better speaker, especially if public speaking doesn’t come naturally to you
• What one Army study said made a leader “toxic” (and it probably isn’t what you think)
• How to spot a team who is thriving under their current leadership
• What leaders can do to balance immediate needs with long-term strategies

Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:

The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go 

Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day

Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.