Retired Army General Stanley McChrystal: Leadership Comes Down To Credibility, Character, Relationships

The transition to leadership out of a skills-based role can be challenging, whether it’s a move into a vice president position at a solution provider or a C-suite appointment at a cybersecurity firm. New business leaders may feel like they always need to be right and that that is what counts the most.

Retired Army General Stanley McChrystal knows a thing or two about leadership. He commanded the Joint Special Operations Command in the mid-2000s, leading U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. During his time as a military leader, he learned that to be effective credibility, character, and relationships count the most.

McChrystal offered cybersecurity experts this advice at the Rapid7 United Summit 2016 in Boston.

’First thing, you have to establish your credibility as an individual,’ McChrystal said. According to the general, credibility is tied to basic ability in a job, but it’s also tied to character. Integrity counts, as does a ’willingness to build relationships and stick with relationships.’

’One of the things I learned years ago, and I now believe even more than ever, is two plus two does not equal four, it equals what the people in the room decide it equals,’ McChrystal said. ’So you can be the smartest person in the room, walk in with the right answer, and that is irrelevant if people will not listen to you.’

’Really, building relationships and credibility is the only way to get the right answer even considered,’ he added. ’And if you think that just being right is your protection or your strength, it’s just not.’