The Art of Excellence

General Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general and former commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he led the nation’s most elite counterterrorism efforts. With 34 years of military service, he’s recognized for reshaping modern warfare and pioneering team-based leadership approaches in high-stakes environments. Today, he is the founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group, a leadership advisory firm that helps organizations adapt and thrive in complex, fast-changing environments. He is the author of multiple bestselling books, and his most recent work, On Character: The Choices That Define Us, explores how leaders are remembered—not just for what they achieve, but for who they are.   Summary In this conversation, retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal reflects on the qualities that define meaningful leadership, focusing on character, culture, and personal growth. He shares how he almost got expelled from West Point for disciplinary issues and poor study habits, and how that period of immaturity helped shape his evolution as a leader. He talks about his famously intense morning routine, including waking up at 4 a.m. and working out for 90 minutes, and how these habits are rooted in self-discipline and clarity of purpose. McChrystal defines character as a combination of convictions and the discipline to live by them. He makes the case that it’s not enough to believe in the right things if you don’t act on them. He also challenges the idea that someone can be one kind of person in private and another in public. To him, character is consistent, and integrity either holds up across all domains or it doesn't hold up at all. He speaks openly about moral ambiguity in leadership, including moments when he disagreed with decisions made by the administration but chose to follow orders because they were legal and within the boundaries of his role. He warns of the dangers of rationalizing small compromises over time, which can slowly erode a person’s values. McChrystal also explains why elite military units like the Rangers are not necessarily made up of elite individuals. What sets them apart is a shared commitment to high standards. He believes the same principle applies in business and argues that a strong organizational culture drives performance more than talent or strategy. The conversation touches on charisma, humility, and how leadership style evolves over time. McChrystal admits he wasn’t always consistent in his early years and had to learn to lead in a way that built trust and clarity. He also discusses the importance of critical thinking, especially in an era where media narratives often distort reality. Finally, he reflects on the abrupt end to his military career following the Rolling Stone article and how he chose to move forward rather than dwell on the past. He credits his wife and close friends for helping him shift his focus and find new purpose in civilian life, including launching a leadership advisory firm, teaching at Yale, and writing multiple books. His latest, On Character, is a deep exploration of what it means to live by your values and be someone others can count on.   Takeaways ·        Morning routines and physical discipline help create structure and momentum ·        Character comes from having strong convictions and the discipline to live by them ·        Integrity in your personal life matters just as much as in your public role ·        A strong culture built on shared standards can outperform raw talent ·        Good leadership means knowing how to handle moral complexity, not just following orders ·        The best leaders combine confidence with humility and know when to show each ·        Charisma only matters if it's backed by substance, courage, and consistency ·        It's easy to be misled by the media, which makes critical thinking more important than ever ·        Leadership styles change with experience, but consistency builds trust ·        Moving forward after setbacks starts with choosing not to live in the past   Notes Books: On Character: Choices That Define a Life Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World My Share of the Task: A Memoir    Organizational consulting: McChrystal Group

Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian and the co-founder of Project Street Vet, a non-profit that provides free veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness in cities across the country.  His work earned him CNN Hero of the Year in 2023. His book is titled: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope.   Summary In this conversation, Dr. Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian and co-founder of Project Street Vet, shares his journey from a successful veterinary career to providing free care for pets of the unhoused. He discusses the importance of empathy, the challenges faced by both animals and their owners in the homeless community, and the emotional toll of veterinary work. Dr. Stewart emphasizes the need for kindness and understanding towards those experiencing homelessness and highlights the strong bonds between them and their pets. His mission is to expand Project Street Vet to more cities, advocating for both animal welfare and human dignity.   Takeaways ·        Powerful childhood experiences, like watching The Black Stallion, can create powerful emotions that inspire career paths. ·        Bullying can lead to empathy and a desire to protect others. ·        The suicide rate among veterinarians is notably high due to emotional stress. ·        Project Street Vet was born from a desire to help animals in need. ·        Building trust with the unhoused community is essential for effective care. ·        Many unhoused individuals have strong bonds with their pets, often prioritizing them over their own housing. ·        Funding and volunteer support are crucial for sustaining veterinary care for the unhoused. ·        Kindness, compassion, and empathy are vital in addressing homelessness and animal welfare.   Notes Book: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian's Quest for Healing and Hope Veterinary care charity: Project Street Vet  Personal Website: Dr. Kwane Stewart

Michael Grab is one of the world’s premier rock balancing artists.  He has created rock art all over the world and has inspired a global movement for stone balancing art.  Summary In this conversation, Michael Grab, a renowned rock balancing artist, shares insights into his creative process, the philosophy behind his art, and the technical aspects of balancing rocks. He discusses how he finds inspiration in nature, the evolution of his hobby into a professional pursuit, and the meditative state he enters while creating his sculptures. The conversation also touches on the ephemeral nature of his work, emphasizing the beauty in its temporary existence. In this conversation, Michael Grab discusses his journey as a rock balancing artist, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of his work and the meticulous process of capturing it through photography and film. He reflects on the transition from a conventional job to pursuing his passion full-time, driven by a desire for creative fulfillment. Grab shares insights on self-competition and the personal standards he sets for his art, ultimately defining excellence as the ability to inspire himself through his creations. Takeaways  ·         His creative process is organic, often allowing the rocks to dictate the final arrangement. ·         He finds inspiration in nature and specific locations that resonate with him. ·         Rock balancing started as a hobby influenced by a psychedelic experience. ·         The art form is highly technical, requiring a deep understanding of gravity and balance. ·         Michael practices for hours, often pushing his limits to create more complex structures. ·         He experiences a flow state while working, feeling deeply connected to the environment. ·         The process of balancing rocks is meditative and exists solely in the present moment. ·         Michael embraces the ephemeral nature of his art, often dismantling structures after photographing them. ·         He believes that the journey of mastery in rock balancing is ongoing and never truly finished. ·         He doesn’t set strict standards but rather focuses on the process and his growth.

Dean Koontz is an author with fourteen number one hardback bestsellers and sixteen number one paperback bestsellers. His books have sold more than 500 million copies in thirty eight languages.  His latest book is titled: Going Home in the Dark.   Summary: In this engaging conversation, Dean Koontz shares insights into his writing process, the challenges of genre blending, and the impact of his childhood on his career. He discusses the importance of character development, the role of fear in creativity, and the necessity of maintaining a unique voice in writing. Koontz reflects on his journey to success, the influence of supportive relationships, and the balance between creative freedom and market expectations. Dean shares insights into his creative process, daily writing routine, and the importance of character development. He discusses overcoming writer's block, the role of revision, and the impact of his upbringing on his writing themes. Koontz emphasizes the significance of resilience in the face of early career challenges and defines excellence in art and writing.   Takeaways: Dean Koontz has sold over 500 million books worldwide. He emphasizes the importance of character development in storytelling. Koontz believes in blending genres to create unique narratives. His childhood experiences shaped his perspective on happiness and resilience. He faced challenges with publishers regarding genre labeling. Koontz advocates for writing in one's own voice and style. He highlights the significance of support from loved ones in his career. Fear of failure drives him to push creative boundaries. Koontz believes talent is a grace that must be polished through hard work. He finds joy in overcoming challenges in his writing process. Writers should embrace different ideas, even if they are unfamiliar. Flow state allows for deep immersion in writing. Characters can take on a life of their own. Trusting characters' free will enriches the story. Self-doubt is a common struggle for writers. Revision is key to achieving perfection in writing. Resilience is crucial in overcoming early career setbacks. Notes Book: Going Home in the Dark Personal Website: Dean Koontz

James Lawrence has broken two Guiness World Records for endurance racing. He raced a full distance triathlon every day for 100 consecutive days and prior to that he raced 50 full distance triathlons for 50 consecutive days across 50 states. His latest book is titled Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible. Summary In this conversation, endurance athlete James Lawrence shares his incredible journey of overcoming fear, pushing through pain, and achieving remarkable feats in his triathlon quest. He discusses a life-altering bike crash, the mental strategies he employs to manage fear and pain, and the importance of focusing on the present moment. Lawrence reflects on his transition from a mortgage broker to a world record-holding athlete, driven by a desire to raise awareness for important causes. He emphasizes the power of resilience, positive self-talk, and finding flow in endurance challenges, while also addressing the balance between planning and spontaneity in life. In this conversation, the they delve into the themes of conquering fear, the importance of community support, mental agility in endurance training, and the significance of a 'day one' mentality. They discuss how breaking down large goals into manageable pieces can help alleviate anxiety and how the support of a community can inspire individuals to push through challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of experience in building mental toughness and the importance of having role models for inspiration. Ultimately, James emphasizes the art of excellence as a consistent effort towards authenticity and personal growth.   Takeaways Fear often stems from worrying about the future. Focusing on the present can eliminate fear. Accidents can happen unexpectedly but resilience is key. Emotions like fear and anger can be managed through self-talk. Life can take unexpected turns, leading to new paths. Setting big goals requires breaking them down into manageable tasks. The mind and body must work together to overcome challenges. Positive self-talk can help manage pain and anxiety. Experiences build resilience and mental strength over time. Finding flow can enhance performance and reduce suffering. Fear is often about worrying about the future. Breaking down big goals into smaller pieces helps manage fear. Success breeds success and confidence breeds confidence. Community support can inspire and motivate individuals. Experiencing challenges builds mental toughness. The 'day one' mentality encourages enthusiasm and optimism. Living each day as if it were your last can change your perspective. Role models can provide inspiration and guidance. Consistency over time leads to excellence. You must experience challenges to grow and learn. Notes Book: Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible Podcast: The Grit Show Amazon Prime Documentary: Conquer 100 Personal website: James Lawrence: Iron Cowboy  

Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He has published over two hundred scientific articles on leadership, negotiations, diversity, and ethics. He has been a damages expert in numerous defamation lawsuits that have generated more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News.  His latest book is titled: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         The leader amplification effect suggests that when we’re in a position of leadership, all of our words and expressions get amplified, both the positive and negative ones. ·         There are three universal factors to inspiring leadership: being a visionary, being an exemplar, and being a mentor.  ·         Inspiring and infuriating leaders are mirror images of each other and exist on opposite ends of a continuum so based on the situation an inspiring leader one day can become an infuriating one the next. ·         Leaders are made, not born, and anyone has the tools to become more inspiring no matter their starting point. ·        The Great Resignation, where 30 million Americans quit their jobs during the pandemic, wasn’t just about where we work but why we work. This “universal midlife crisis” was less about pay and much more about meaning and purpose and empowerment. ·         You can learn how to become more visionary by conveying an optimistic vision, keeping your message simple, and creating rich imagery.  ·         “Excellence is getting better at whatever you do on a day to day process.”   Notes Book: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others Personal website: Adam Galinsky

Diane Boyd has four decades of experience on behavior, conservation and management of wild wolf populations. In 1979 Diane moved to Montana to study wolf recovery in the Rocky Mountains, from the first natural colonizer to approximately 2000 wolves today in the western United States. Diane has worked for the University of Montana, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Montana. He new book is titled: A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         Similar to humans, wolves live in family groups and protect their territory, often to the death. ·         You learn a lot by walking the wolf’s tracks in the snow – their habitat, how they respond to scent of other animals, where they sleep, how they kill animals.  You can see the entire ecology of wolves written in their tracks.  ·         A wolf is a cooperative obligatory hunter. It’s obliged to cooperate because it needs the power of many mouths to take down a prey animal. ·         The average lifespan of a wolf in the wild is just 4.3 years. ·         Close to 300 wolves are killed every year due to recreational sport.  That’s about 1/3 of the overall population. ·         “Excellence is the highest standard of quality for whatever you’re measuring.”   Show Notes Book: A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery Personal Website: Diane Boyd   

Laurie is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University.  In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class became Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years.  The online version of the class—The Science of Well-Being on Coursera—has attracted more than 4 million students. She was recently voted as one of Popular Science Magazine’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named in Time Magazine as a “Leading Campus Celebrity.” Her podcast, The Happiness Lab, has attracted over 100 million downloads since its launch.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       Our minds lie to us when it comes to happiness.  ·       There is the sense of being happy in your life and the sense of being happy with your life. ·       Investing in social relationships is the most important thing we can do to improve our happiness.  ·       If you force yourself to be more social, even if it’s natural to you, you’ll actually experience more positive emotions as a result. ·       Beyond social connections, practicing gratitude and helping others are also tools to increase your overall wellbeing.  ·       There’s a disconnect between the things that we want and the things that we truly enjoy. ·       The arrival fallacy is thinking that you’ll be happy once you achieve some goal but that happiness is often fleeting.  ·       The journey is ultimately much more rewarding than the destination.  Learn to enjoy it. ·       “Excellence is behaving and developing mindsets in a way that allows you to flourish.”   Show Notes: Personal website: Dr. Laurie Santos Podcast: The Happiness Lab Coursera class: The Science of Well-Being

Don Lemon spent three decades on local and national TV – a trusted voice after the Sandy Hook massacre, in war-torn Eastern Europe, and during the riots of 2020. Anchoring Don Lemon Tonight on CNN for eight years, he was known for hard-hitting interviews with public officials and compassionate dialogue with everyday people.  The Don Lemon Show is now streaming on all platforms.  He is the author of several bestselling books including his most recent one titled: I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America.   Some interesting insights from this episode: ·       As a Black man, he has a complicated relationship with the flag. But he is still a patriot. And as a gay man, he has a complicated relationship with the Bible.  But he still believes in God. ·       He was the kid whose personality could not be denied.  He was likeable and easy to get along with. His charismatic personality would later help separate him from the other news anchors who were stiff and indistinguishable.  ·       He has always had a strong work ethic, outworking everyone around him. He worked full time while pursuing his degree full time and he never took a vacation his first ten years at CNN. ·       “Every setback or shortcoming you think you have is actually a gift. You just have to figure out what that gift is and how to use it.” ·       He’s ok being a lightning rod, as he’s just being himself and trying to foster healthy debate. He has learned to not care what others think about him. ·       “Excellence is not about perfection. Rather, excellence is being a good citizen, a good partner, a good family member, and a good contributor to society in the world.”   Show Notes: Books: I Once was Lost: My Search for God in America This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism TV/Digital: The Don Lemon Show   

Guy Snodgrass recently served as director of communications and chief speechwriter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis. A former naval aviator, he served as commanding officer of a fighter squadron based in Japan, A TOPGUN instructor, and a combat pilot over the skies of Iraq.  Today he is the founder and CEO of Defense Analytics, a strategic consulting and advisory firm. He is the author of Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis and his latest book is titled: TOPGUN’s Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit.    Some interesting insights from this episode: ·         To succeed a TOPGUN, you have to possess three traits: talent, passion, and personality. ·         Competence is when you have an excellent capability but you operate below that level. Arrogance is when your competence is lower than you anticipate but you act like you’re better. ·         You can achieve anything you put your mind to so long as you’re willing to break down the problem and put the resources against it to solve it. ·         After every simulated dogfight there would be a debrief comparing your recollection of the events with the actual video footage.  This created a continual feedback loop to accelerate learning. ·         President Eisenhower once said: “Plans are worthless but planning is indispensable.” ·         TOPGUN has a flat organizational structure whereby junior officers are calling a lot of the shots.  Decisions are made based on capability and knowledge base, not based on rank. This allows them to get to the best tactical end result.    Show Notes: TOPGUN'S TOP 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis