Risk

A User’s Guide

By: General Stanley McChrystal

Narrated by: General Stanley McChrystal

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

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.

Great practical insights into real life management of risk

The linkage from history, military experience, natural and health disasters, economic and business failures as well as successes brings a wide ranging and practical perspective to managing risk. Complacency, overconfidence, poor inter-departmental coordination, poor communication and looking more at external rather than internal sources of risk emerge as the key reasons behind many mishaps that could have been avoided, or their impact reduced.

A practical approach to dealing with everyday risk

As a long time risk management advocate, I found this book intriguing because of its real-world approach to handling the uncertainties in our organizational and personal lives.
I bought both the hardcover and the audible editions and I have modified my own risk advisory business accordingly.

This book is not about Risk nor the Individual

If you think this book is gonna help you take a plunge and start a new business, accept a new tougher position or maybe just ask your crush out it won't. Honestly I don't know what it will do for you except tell you about how blockbuster made a wrong move with Netflix or whatever else