Jim Mattis

Our virtual conversation with former Secretary of Defense General Jim Mattis will be moderated by Council President Emeritus Jim Falk. General Mattis served as the 26th secretary of defense from January 2017 through December 2018 after retiring from his 43-year career as an infantry marine in 2013. Through his decades of experience, General Mattis has developed an acute understanding of American foreign policy and the United States’ role on the global stage and is a fierce advocate for education. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Jim Mattis: Call Sign Chaos Jim Mattis served more than four decades as an infantry officer in the United States Marines , rising to the rank of 4-star general. In 2017, he was nearly unanimously confirmed as the 26th Secretary of Defense of the United States , a position he held for almost two years. Today, he is a distinguished fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of the new book with Bing West: Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead* . In this conversation, Jim and I discuss his career in the Marines and the leadership lessons that emerged during combat. Jim shares the mistake he made in soliciting support for his plan to capture Osama Bin Laden in Tora Bora and discusses how he handled disagreements on strategy in Fallujah. Finally, Jim recommends three books and reflects on the greatest threat to America today. Key Points Creating “focused telescopes” outside the normal chain of command were useful in discovering concerns that might not otherwise have become known. Keep key stakeholders in the loop with these three questions: What do I know? Who needs to know? Have I told them? “You cannot order someone to abandon a spiritual burden they’ve been wrestling with.” Even in a war zone, command was only a small portion of the daily tasks. Most of the time was spent coaching. “History teaches that we face nothing new under the sun.” Books will help you take advantage of the accumulated experiences of leaders who came before you. Resources Mentioned Meditations* by Marcus Aurelius Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant* by Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain Long Walk to Freedom* by Nelson Mandela Book Notes Download my highlights from Call Sign Chaos in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284) Develop Leaders Before You Leave, with David Marquet (episode 405) Influence Through Overlapping Networks, with Sandie Morgan (episode 422) How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jim Mattis, a retired United States Marine Corps general and 26th United States Secretary of Defense, shares leadership lessons he learned on the battlefield.