When we first met, I was probably six layers down in the military structure, but General McChrystal at that time was a soldier's leader, and he was part of the task force. So everyone developed close relationships.

There are no more worlds to conquer!

As a leader, you must consistently drive effective communication. Meetings must be deliberate and intentional - your organizational rhythm should value purpose over habit and effectiveness over efficiency.

When the collective mentality of any organization is self and self-preservation first, it's a sure sign of pending doom.

As you move up a traditional, sort of bureaucratic structure, there's a certain point at which you realize, 'Well, I'm not really on the implementation or execution side - I'm not on the battlefield. I'm an operations person who's overseeing multiple units that are out on the ground doing the job.'

There was lots of time spent in negotiations with the Chinese military force that controls the nation's air space, designing escape routes, and installing and testing new equipment for air traffic control in that remote area.