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Risk

A User’s Guide

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Risk

By: General Stanley McChrystal
Narrated by: General Stanley McChrystal
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

We may not be able to see the future, but Control can teach us how to improve our resistance and build a strong defense against what we know -- and what we don't.

Retired four-star general Stan McChrystal has lived a life associated with the deadly risks of combat; he has seen how individuals and organizations, too often and to great cost, fail to mitigate risk. Why? Because they focus on the probability of something happening instead of the interface by which it can be managed.

In Control, McChrystal offers a new system of responding to risk, through ten dimensions of control we can adjust at any given time: narrative, bias, diversity, action, timing, adaptability, communication, technology, structure, and leadership. By monitoring these controls, we can anticipate, identify, analyze, and act when things do not go as planned. Drawing on compelling examples ranging from military history to the business world, and offering practical exercises to improve preparedness, McChrystal illustrates how these ten factors are almost always in effect, and how by considering them, individuals and organizations can exert mastery over every conceivable sort of risk that they might face.

© Stanley McChrystal 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Forecasting & Strategic Planning Insurance Leadership Management & Leadership Negotiating Business Military Management

Critic reviews

An absolute masterpiece on the subject of risk! Brilliant and highly entertaining, this book is essential reading for every leader, regardless of age or experience.
A brilliant user's guide that demonstrates how managing risk is about how we lead, rather than getting mathematical equations right. Fundamental reading for any leader looking to understand and strengthen their team's Risk Immune System.
General McChrystal is swiftly becoming our most important leadership voice. Measured, meticulous, and filled with practical, pragmatic wisdom from both war and peace, his clear-eyed, unsentimental guidance cuts to the heart of our precarious existence. A must-read leadership bible for troubling times.
An essential playbook on mastering all dimensions of risk. For soldiers, educators, CEOs, entrepreneurs, government leaders, and everyone in between, the general captures, with precision and clarity, how staying risk fit can unleash your team's maximum potential.
All stars
Most relevant
Falls short on addressing a very big topic in an engaging way. There are a lot of case studies referenced, but few first hand insights by Gen, S. McChrystal on his experience in preparing for, identifying and managing risk in his career. The case studies are drawn from existing and publicly available sources such that this book could have been just a research and compilation exercise by the ghost writer/publisher. The covid risk immune system metaphor wears thin after a while and falls short of being inspiring.

Nonetheless, some will find the sytematic presentation of planning for managing risk to be helpful for their own organisations.

Limited first hand insights

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