General Stanley McChrystal | Choices That Define a Life

“When I die, how will I be measured?” For Stanley McChrystal, the answer could be obvious. As a retired four-star general, McChrystal might be measured by his stars (four), commands held, wars fought, or awards and medals received (numerous). But when McChrystal looked back on his life and his current status, he focused on the importance of character, a topic he explores in his new book aptly titled On Character: Choices that Define a Life. Character is, he says, the key to living with purpose and integrity. He says character isn’t something you are born with, nor do you automatically accrue it through education, position, or experience. Instead, he says it is the result of a succession of choices, sometimes mundane ones, sometimes hugely important ones, that together reveal our capacity for virtue. At a time when virtue and character are sometimes hard to identify in leaders, come hear McChrystal in his return to Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a rallying cry to become our best selves—as individual people and as Americans. June 27, 2025 Photo courtesy the speaker. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. Speakers Stanley McChrystal Retired Army General; Author, On Character: Choices That Define a Life In Conversation with DJ Patil Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; General Partner, GreatPoint Ventures; Member, Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California Board of Governors In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches it's wide-ranging audiences through these Social media platforms