Reflections: Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

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 Turning Back. Since then, we've released over 75 conversations with leaders of all different backgrounds and industries, discussing their experiences facing the pressing challenges they and their organizations encounter every day. As we wrap up this series, we're taking a look back at the favorite episodes from our team who helped create No Turning Back from behind the scenes.

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. Bill details his experiences leading teams, what he envisions as the future of technology, and how it must improve people's lives. Bill also shares his thoughts on the most pressing challenges facing leaders today, headlined by retention and creating a work environment that suits employees' shifting needs.

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 business imperative and how it accelerated the development of a learning culture at Clorox. They talk about her career choices, experiences that helped her become CEO, and how her values have guided her professional growth. This conversation is rich with actionable insights on how leaders at all stages of their journey can lead resilient teams during crises and beyond.  

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 Leadership.

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 initiatives across the three. Stan and Elena discussed the implications of the change in the security threat landscape from organizations being more reliant on technology than ever before. This conversation unpacks the trust equation, how to measure trust, and the importance of actions speaking louder than words.

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 moment in his life. He talks about why and how Logitech is constantly learning and committed to making progress.

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 journey of diversity, equity, and inclusion and why this is the grand challenge of our time. They explore why equity can be a stopping point for leaders and how leaders can be more inclusive. This conversation unpacks how to develop diverse teams, sharing the five dynamics as a powerful tool for balanced teams. Susan shares the importance of authenticity in our relationships. How being intentional with the process is critical, and why different perspectives are key for effective collaboration. We were enthralled by the wealth of insights Susan shared and will include the resources she referenced in the show notes.

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 week, we kick off our Demystifying DEI miniseries with a conversation Stan and Chris had with Ebbie Parsons. Ebbie is the Founder and Managing Partner of Yardstick Management, America's leading Black-owned management consultant firm. In this discussion, Stan and Chris dive deep into the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They explore the business case for DEI, the importance of diversifying your network, and how processes and systems can enable advancements.     Ebbie shares why it's critical that we all drive intentional change across organizations and why it's a marathon and not a sprint. This conversation is rich with actionable insights on how leaders can do the demanding work to develop an equitable society for all. We were really interested in hearing about Ebbie's work with business leaders as we started the Demystifying DEI series of No Turning Back.

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, please visit mcchrsytalgroup.com for our Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast resources page, where you can download our latest playbook.   Our next No Turning Back miniseries coming to you soon is called Demystifying Diversity Equity and Inclusion.

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 Jake successfully grew and led Team Rubicon and had tremendous impact, how he intentionally made career pivots, and his current work at Groundswell and its efforts to disrupt corporate giving.   Overall, Stan spoke to Jake about how he thinks about evolving while remaining focused and competitive as the world changes around him. Jake is a fascinating thought leader and guest. We hope our discussion here is thought provoking and enjoyable.