Book report on General Stanley McChrystal’s “On Character”
Published: 2024
Genre: Leadership, Personal Development, Military Ethics
Overview:
In On Character, retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal argues that character — not talent, intelligence, or charisma — is the foundation of effective leadership. Drawing on his decades of military service, historical examples, and modern crises, McChrystal explores how character is formed, tested, and ultimately defines the legacy of leaders across fields. This is not a book about military tactics; it’s a manual for ethical and moral fortitude in the face of pressure, complexity, and public scrutiny.
Summary of Key Points:
- Character Is Built, Not Born:McChrystal rejects the idea that character is innate. Instead, he emphasizes that it is shaped through repeated decisions, moral tests, and the willingness to hold oneself accountable, especially when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.
- Character in Crisis:The book examines how true character is revealed during moments of pressure and ambiguity. McChrystal draws on historical leaders (like George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and Dwight Eisenhower) to demonstrate that those who sustained the moral courage to act with integrity often led most effectively — even if their decisions were controversial at the time.
- Flaws and Redemption:McChrystal does not romanticize character. He acknowledges the fallibility of even great leaders and explores how mistakes — even major ones — don’t have to define a person forever if they respond with humility, honesty, and a commitment to growth.
- The Modern Challenge:In the digital age, with constant surveillance, instant feedback, and polarized discourse, leaders face unprecedented pressures. McChrystal challenges leaders to resist shortcuts, performative outrage, and empty virtue signaling — and instead to ground themselves in quiet, resilient ethics.
- Leadership Today:The general closes with an appeal: that institutions, schools, companies, and governments must put character back at the center of how we select and elevate leaders. Credentials and charisma are nice — but courage, integrity, and consistency are what earn trust and create real change.
Analysis:
On Character is part memoir, part leadership treatise, and part call to arms for anyone concerned about the moral decay in public and private leadership. McChrystal’s military background brings weight to his observations, but he remains surprisingly humble and personal. His approach is never sanctimonious — he acknowledges his own mistakes (including his own resignation from the Obama administration in 2010) as moments that refined his understanding of character.
His prose is straightforward, his arguments well-supported, and his tone is quietly inspiring. He doesn’t preach, but he does challenge. In a world often obsessed with optics and image, McChrystal reminds us that what matters most is who we are when no one’s watching.
Personal Reflection:
Reading On Character felt like a steadying force in a noisy, uncertain world. It’s a valuable book for emerging leaders, teachers, activists, and anyone interested in how to live — and lead — with moral clarity. McChrystal’s emphasis on humility, accountability, and daily discipline is timeless and much-needed, especially in an era when so many in power seem more committed to self-interest than service.
Final Thoughts:
If you want a flashy leadership book filled with buzzwords and shortcuts, On Character isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a serious, thoughtful, and refreshingly honest examination of what it means to lead well — even when no one gives you credit — this book delivers.
Rating: 5/5 for substance, wisdom, and moral urgency.
Julie Bolejack, MBA
