Shared Consciousness and Purpose

Find a Washington Times Book Review by Gary Anderson of "My Share of the Task" below:
 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/22/book-review-my-share-of-...

 
GEN McChrystal sat down with Nate Rawlings at TIME to talk about commanding America’s most secret troops, his plans for the future and his new memoir, My Share of the Task.
 
Read more here: http://nation.time.com/2013/01/08/stan-mcchrystal-trading-shadows-for-sh...
 
 

Below is an excerpt of a review of GEN McChrystal's memoir, "My Share of the Task" in the Wall Street Journal by Max Boot.

Stanley McChrystal, a co-founder of the McChrystal Group,  retired in July of 2010 as a four-star general in the U.S. Army. He'd also served as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and as the commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In "My Share of the Task," Gen. McChrystal looks back on the lessons, the commitment and the sacrifices of life as a soldier. Find a link below to an excerpt.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/50364215/ns/today-books/#.UOszjInjmX9

We hail from a shared background of service.  We are the spark of a generation answering a call to excellence in a fast, fluid, and different world. The battlefield taught us that in this world—in our world—relationships are more important than our rifles; empathy more important than the enemy; leadership more precious than any technology.  
 

"Stay focused."  The stark simplicity of those two final words of commander's guidance carried great meaning coming from (then) LTG McChrystal over a secure phone line to me, positioned hundreds of miles and several countries away, just two months into a complex new interagency mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. Our small team had just experienced a tough setback in our relationship with new team mates, and emotions ran high, with lots of chatter on the net about what happened, what it meant, and how to best respond.

 
Flux—an unprecedented pace of change relegating time-honored principles to the ash heap of history and causing long-held assumptions to lead us in the wrong direction—characterizes our current existence. “Adapt or die” is now an imperative for each of us. Traditional organizational structures and leadership practices are no longer sufficient to survive, let alone thrive, in this environment.
 

“Incorporate Afghan women into Counter-Insurgency operations.”