GENERAL MARTIN E. DEMPSEY,  named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people, retired in October 2015 after 41 years of military service. He now teaches leadership and public policy as a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University and serves as Chairman of USA Basketball. General Dempsey is co-author of the bestselling leadership book Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership and author of the upcoming book: No Time For Spectators: The Lessons That Mattered Most From West Point To The West Wing.

General Dempsey and I had this conversation in March of 2020. Some of the key takeaways…

  • Those who sustain excellence: They are humble and ambitious… And they have a thirst for learning. A “passionate curiosity.”
  • “It’s hard to get to the top. It’s even harder to stay there…”
  • The best kind of mentor:
    • Informal relationships.
    • “Know that proteges are watching and listening all the time.”
    • “Disagreement is not disloyalty.”
  • The differences between Marty as a leader in 2011 vs. 2015:
    • “I came to realize how much I didn’t know.”
    • You work to influence outcomes, not try to direct them.
    • “Through influence not through authority or power.”
  • How to make big decisions:
    • Scrutiny can be paralyzing…
  • Nuclear deal with Iran:
    • General Dempsey found himself in disagreement with President Obama. “Not just the what, but the why.”
    • Must have confidence that you can speak truth to power.
  • Believe in action over admiration
  • Rule for meetings: “We are making the decision in THIS meeting.”
    • “We are getting a recommendation for the President in THIS meeting.”
    • Reverse engineer meetings to get things done.
  • Commitment vs. Compliance:
    • How to de-centralize the Army
    • Be inclusive: You will learn more. You’ll get people to take ownership. Share the burden.
  • Community:
    • Be prepared for when crisis arrives. Build relationships prior to it happening.
  • Sweat the small stuff:
    • Fundamentals are vital.
    • Always strive to know WHY something works the way it does… As a tank commander, need to know everything about it.
    • “Knowing the fundamentals allows you to have influence.”
  • Be responsibly rebellious
    • Innovation begins with a little rebelliousness
  • Read: Once An Eagle
  • The “best leaders bring out the best in those around them.”
  • Young leaders who are wishing away their lives are making a big mistake, “I can’t wait to be a CEO.” That is not wise.
    • “Bloom where you’re planted.”
  • Advice on a long successful marriage:
    • “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”

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