No Turning Back first began in April of 2020, originating as a video series where Stan McChrystal and Chris Fussell would speak with some of the world’s most consequential leaders about leadership and resilience through such unprecedented times. This video series served as a way to bring people together for a conversation and gave viewers a slight reprieve from the uncertainty in our world. We quickly realized there was a larger audience who were looking for impactful conversations like No...

This week, we are featuring an episode on leadership with a conversation between Stan, Chris, and Bill McDermott, the Chief Executive Officer of ServiceNow, a role he assumed in November of 2019. Bill has led innovation at the company as it has been at the forefront of digital transformation and shares his insights on company culture, leadership, and adaptation in business. They discuss the characteristics of what makes a successful leader and how to navigate uncertainty when innovating....

This week, we have a very special episode on leadership with a conversation Stan and Chris had with Linda Rendle. Linda is chief executive officer at The Clorox Company, a position she assumed in September 2020. They discuss agile leadership, innovation, and the importance of preparing for an unpredictable future. Linda shares lessons learned from leading The Clorox Company during COVID, her pride in her team, and the resiliency they demonstrated. Linda shares with us why learning is a...

This week, Stan and Chris conclude the demystifying DEI mini-series of No Turning Back, looking back on the four episodes, and looking ahead to how we can all be more intentional in our commitment to making progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.   We hope you’ve enjoyed listening to different perspectives of DEI, the lessons learned, and the individual journey leaders have taken. If you’ve enjoyed these conversations, visit our website, McChrystalGroup.com for resources on Inclusive...

This week, we continue our Demystifying DEI mini-series with a conversation Stan had with Elena Kvochko, the first Chief Trust Officer at SAP, a role she began at the height of the pandemic. In this role, Elena leads a team of security architects and focuses on building trust through a culture of accountability and openness. In this fascinating discussion, Elena shares how DEI and trust interlink through the framework of people, processes, and techniques and the tangible impact of DEI...

This week, we continue our demystifying DEI mini-series with a conversation Stan had with Bracken Darrell, CEO of Logitech in this fascinating discussion, Stan examines Bracken's personal journey of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and why it's not enough to not be racist. We must be anti-racist.     They explore why being fair and getting it right is a growth opportunity for every individual and every organization, Bracken shares how George Floyd's murder was the most transformational...

This week, we continue our Demystifying DEI miniseries with the conversation Stan and Chris had with Susan O'Malley. Susan serves as the Head of Strategy for Personalized Medicine at Genentech. She brings together creative leadership with decision-making and long-term future thinking in this role. Prior, she spent almost a decade at the design and innovation firm IDEO and began the first chapter of her career at Google. In this fascinating discussion, Stan and Chris dive deep into the...

Over the next several weeks, Stan and Chris will embark on a new miniseries called Demystifying DEI, where we will look at how organizations are approaching the important work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this series, we're excited to hear how industry leaders are authentically incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into their organizations, investing in their people to drive change, and the lessons they have learned through curiosity and trial.     This...

This week Stan and Chris conclude the No Turning Back miniseries. They reflect on the four past episodes, exploring insights from their guests on how they implemented Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast in their leadership.   Thank you for joining us for this miniseries. We hope these episodes have prompted you to think about how you can lead during unpredictability, be more intentional in your leadership, and better adapt to the changing environment.     If you’ve enjoyed this miniseries,...

As a part of the “Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast” series of No Turning Back, Stan and Chris were eager to speak with Jake Wood, the founder and CEO of Groundswell.   Jake's career began in the military – he was a Marine and upon leaving the military founded Team Rubicon, an organization that position veterans to help in disaster response. Most recently, Jake founded Groundswell, a nonprofit that aims to change charitable giving.   Stan spoke to Jake about intentional decision making, how...

As a part of the “Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast” series of No Turning Back, Stan and Chris were excited to speak with Meg Gentle, the Executive Director of HIF USA. Meg has had an impressive 25-year career in the energy industry. A former oil & gas executive, she recently left the business to focus on decarbonization, with goals to return our planet to a CO2 homeostasis.   In this discussion, Stan and Chris ask Meg about the future of the energy sector: what leadership will look...

We're officially in the "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" series, with a special guest: Bruce Broussard, the CEO of Humana. As organizations jump into 2022, they are eager to start the year with energy and vigor and leave behind the challenges of the past two years. We know all organizations – especially ones in healthcare, like Humana – must be more intentional than ever before.   In this episode, we spoke with Bruce Broussard and how speed affects the healthcare system. Bruce speaks about...

Over the next several weeks, Stan and Chris will be embarking on a new mini-series, called “Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast.” The title comes from a concept in special operations, where operators move more methodically and slowly to make fewer mistakes.  In this series, we’re curious to hear how leaders are tackling unpredictability, being intentional in their leadership, and adapting to crises as they unfold.    This week, we are teasing the mini-series with a conversation with Carl Liebert....

As we conclude this “Future Focused” series that looks to the future of work and our world at large, we were really interested in exploring how cities and businesses will grow together. Meet Maggie Hsu, the former Chief of Staff to the late CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, who was heavily involved in the Downtown Project. The Downtown Project aimed to build and revitalize the community of Las Vegas. Maggie has spent her career thinking ahead about ways to make our future world better.   In this...

How should we think about the future of technology in the military? How will warfighters leverage technology, artificial intelligence, and new innovations to best react to the conflicts that await us? These are the sorts of questions on Major General Heather Pringle's mind, as the Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. Major General Pringle serves as the Technology Executive Officer, whose work and research supports the Air Force and Space Force.   In this episode, we hear about...

What will "work" look like in 2022, and the years beyond it? Meet Philip Ross, a futurist who specializes on how technology influences how we live, work, shop, and socialize. He's our guest today on No Turning Back in the next episode of the "Future Focused" series. He is the founder of UnGroup and Cordless Group, and aims to help organizations navigate the future workplace. He advises companies, runs workshops and conferences, and writes books about the Future of Work, generously giving...

Welcome to the Future Focused series of No Turning Back. As we end 2021 and take the step into 2022, we will be having future-focused conversations: largely talking about the future of work, but also the human-AI experience, technological innovation in the military, drafting out and discussing what our world will look like in the years to come.   Bob Johansen, this week's guest, kicks off the mini-series. Bob is a self-proclaimed "futurist" who looks at life backwards, focusing ten years...

This week, Stan and Chris conclude the Risk mini-series of No Turning Back, looking back on the six episodes, and looking ahead to the greatest risks facing our nation and world. Our podcast, after all, is called No Turning Back, and Stan and Chris will leave you today with clear insights into the challenges that lay ahead. Our next mini-series, coming to you within a matter of weeks, is about the Future of Work. If you've enjoyed the Risk mini-series and are looking for more, pick up a...

This week, we continue our risk mini-series on No Turning Back, with a very special, distinguished guest: John Chambers, the former chairman of S&P’s sovereign rating committee. We couldn’t think of a better guest to discuss the nuances of financial risk.   John spent 24 years at Standard & Poor’s, or S&P, and is known most for downgrading the US credit rating in 2011. His insights and experiences are topical and relevant as the United States worked through the debt ceiling...

This week, Stan and Chris speak to Bob Wood, the former Chairman and CEO of Chemtura Corporation. Bob has an impressive career navigating business risk: before Chemtura, Bob was an executive at Dow Chemical, spending over two decades there and climbing the ranks in the business. He has been a member of a variety of impressive boards, including the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, MRC Global, Praxair Inc., and Univar Solutions, to name a few. Notably, Bob is a member of the board of...

Today, on the very day of the book launch, we’re excited to share this sneak peek of content with you. In this episode, you’ll be hearing three clips of Stan’s own voice as he reads excerpts from Risk: A User’s Guide, to give you a taste of the other pages to follow. Order your copy to Risk: A User's Guide, here: https://www.mcchrystalgroup.com/library/risk-a-users-guide/

This week, Stan and Chris speak to chess grandmaster, Garry Kasparov, about risk: in the game of chess, and more broadly, in society. Garry is well-known as a World Chess Champion who famously dueled against IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue. In recent years, Garry has been translating and expanding his focus to the Renew Democracy Initiative, which aims to promote and protect democracy worldwide.   Garry first came onto No Turning Back this past January, and Stan and Chris were intrigued by...

This week, Stan and Chris speak to chess grandmaster, Garry Kasparov, about risk: in the game of chess, and more broadly, in society. Garry is well-known as a World Chess Champion who famously dueled against IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue. In more recent years, Garry has been translating and expanding his focus to the Renew Democracy Initiative which aims to promote and protect democracy worldwide.     Garry first came onto No Turning Back this past January, and Stan and Chris were...

Poker is a game of risk. The chances you take, the bets you make, determine the loss, or the reward. It’s a heated calculus of quick decision-making, gut instinct, and strategy. This week, on the second episode of the Risk mini-series on No Turning Back, Stan and Chris speak to Annie Duke, a former professional poker player whose titles include the NBC National Poker Heads-Up Championship, as the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.   In today’s discussion, Stan and Chris speak to...