No Turning Back is a podcast by retired Army Four-Star General Stan McChrystal and former Navy SEAL Chris Fussell. In this series, they explore the future of leadership and teams with the world’s most consequential leaders. From CEOs to political leaders to deep thinkers, Stan and Chris will bring you advice from the brightest minds about how to tackle the most pressing organizational and institutional challenges we face.
James Kerr on Rugby, Storytelling and Humility
Jul 13, 2021
Show notes
What can a New Zealand rugby team teach you about leadership? This week, Stan and Chris speak to James Kerr to discover the answer to that question. James Kerr, a bestselling author, speaker, and business consultant, brings an inquisitive mind and practical observations to the conversation. Stan and Chris explore some of the lessons learned from James's best-selling book, Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life, examining the symbols, rituals, practices, and values that made the All Blacks a successful rugby team.
Beyond the All Blacks, Stan and Chris share interests in common with James, who specializes in high-performing teams and leadership. James explains why smart leaders are great storytellers, draws an important distinction between humility as meekness and humility as confidence, and what CEOs can learn from coaches. James is an expert in his field and was generous with his time. We thank him for the discussion.
Jake Harriman on building a More Perfect Union
Jun 29, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak with Jake Harriman, the Founder and CEO of More Perfect Union and former Infantry and Force Recon Platoon Commander in the Marine Corps.
Jake has lived a life in service to others, focusing on international poverty, as well as the dangers of political extremism in the United States. After spending his childhood in West Virginia, Jake matriculated to the United States Naval Academy – and upon graduating, went on to serve in the Marine Corps as an Infantry and Force Recon Platoon Commander.
He left the Marine Corps after seven and a half years of service, and received his MBA from Stanford in order to form Nuru International in 2007, which aims to eradicate poverty worldwide. Jake then pivoted his focus inward to the United States and the dangers of partisanship in American politics to found More Perfect Union, which aims to heal the divide in the country and build a center in American politics.
Jake is a fascinating guest with much to say about the world we live in today, and how we can work together to make it better.
Stan and Chris on Today's Pressing Leadership Questions
Jun 22, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris take some listener questions - and speak to some of the burning topics on their minds. As we transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic and look to the future of leadership, they took 40 minutes to dive into what they, and our listeners, are thinking about. They reflect on helpful lessons from communicating in a remote environment, consider the relationship between leadership and ego, as well as the tensions between habits, rule-following, and adapting to be efficient to attack crises at hand.
Ruba Borno: A Conversation with a "Make it Happen" Executive
Jun 15, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak to Ruba Borno, Senior Vice President and General Manager in Cisco's Customer Experience organization. Stan first met Ruba when she was Chief of Staff to the CEO at Cisco and has been impressed at how Ruba has been a "make it happen" executive throughout the years. Ruba has her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and spent time at Boston Consulting Group before coming to Cisco in 2015 - where she has been Vice President of Growth Initiatives and Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Managed Services, before serving in her current role. Stan and Chris speak to Ruba about why empathy, emotional intelligence, and resilience are important in our leaders, why leaders should ask questions rather than give answers, and how her own experience as a refugee has influenced how she sees her career and leadership.
Lisa Gevelber on Google, Technology Equality, and Societal Change
Jun 08, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak to Lisa Gevelber, the Chief Marketing Officer, Americas Region at Google, and Vice President of Grow with Google. Lisa has had a fascinating career. A student of Psychology, Lisa started her career at Proctor and Gamble, working at a variety of companies (some start-ups) before moving to Google in 2010.
Stan and Chris speak with Lisa about the challenges of technology equality, how she is building trusted networks with community partners to promote economic opportunity, and about Lisa's personal decision to focus her career and build a team for a cause she believes in. As we've become more connected to technology during the COVID crisis, Lisa gives us much to think about - how the entire world can benefit from the opportunities technology provides.
Gautam Mukunda: A Conversation with a Leadership Expert
Jun 01, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak to Gautam Mukunda. Gautam is an expert in leadership who says he aims to have the world's most confusing resume. Gautam is a Jeopardy champion, former consultant, and a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy's Center for Public Leadership. He has degrees from Harvard, Dartmouth, and MIT and is the host of Nasdaq's "World Reimagined" podcast. Gautam speaks to leadership and power, the risks of having "superstars" on teams, and gives us a new perspective on the story of George Washington and his wooden teeth.
Jeevan Kalanithi and Michael Fleischman On Start-up Leadership
May 25, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak with Jeevan Kalanithi and Michael Fleischman of OpenSpace. Jeevan is the CEO, and Michael is the Co-founder and Chief Scientist of OpenSpace, which provides cutting-edge technology for capturing and mapping job sites. Jeevan and Michael speak about building a narrative around new technology, how OpenSpace could have helped with Boston's Big Dig Project, and how tech start-up leaders are unique.
Jamil Farshchi on Risk and Responsibility
May 20, 2021
Show notes
In light of the recent Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, Stan and Chris revisit a conversation they had with Jamil Farshchi, the Chief Information Security Officer at Equifax. Jamil has had a distinguished career in information security transformation: he was the first-ever Chief Information Security Officer at Time Warner and worked with both Home Depot and Equifax to build safer networks after their respective cyber breaches. Jamil shares the importance of building culture in our teams and discusses why security is everyone's responsibility in an organization.
Henrik Andersen on leading environment change
May 11, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris sat down with Henrik Andersen, President and CEO of Vestas Wind Systems. Henrik is leading in an industry that is driving large-scale, global change – shifting how people think, one wind turbine at a time. Henrik shares the importance of letting your leadership grow, trusting your team even in complex crises, in a world increasingly dependent on renewable energy.
Patty Horoho: Lessons from the former Army Surgeon General
May 04, 2021
Show notes
This week, Stan and Chris speak with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Patty Horoho, former Army Surgeon General and 23rd Chief of the Army Nurse Corps. Patty is the current CEO of OptumServe. Patty shares insights from her military career, her strategic viewpoint on healthcare, and what it was like to trailblaze as the first female and nurse Surgeon General.
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