Organizations perform at their best when a set of shared values and commitment to excellence permeates the entire institution. Although many leaders profess to possess these attributes, they may not be fully instilled and realized in the company culture, inviting confusion and disagreement with its focus. So how to effectively translate an esoteric concept into tangible action that employees can accept and embrace?
Throughout the course of his exceptional 40-plus-year career with the U.S. Army, General George Casey’s pragmatic leadership style and competency won him the praise and respect of government officials as well as his troops who viewed him as a leader that confronted challenges by understanding and addressing the core issues and engaging and empowering his people with the tools and training required for their success. As the adept steward of the most important transformation of the U.S. Army in six decades, General Casey believes that leadership starts with crafting a clear, concise vision, communicating it effectively, and building consensus to create unity of effort to solve intractable problems and long-term issues. As technology, globalism and economic interdependence continue to make markets and environments more complex and challenging, General Casey offers practical steps to developing a solid vision, an effective action plan, and efficient implementation for organizational growth, profit and success now and in years to come.
When General George Casey took the helm of the U.S. Army as Chief of Staff in 2007, the prevailing wisdom of the institution at the time was that the Army was “broken,” "hollow," and "not ready," desperately needing to be “fixed.” What General Casey found was not a force that was failing but rather one that was “out of balance” – unable to sustain an all-volunteer organization and prepare for the full range of missions because of the overwhelming weight of immediate demands it continually faced.
Not one to sit idly by, General Casey embarked on one of the most ambitious and significant transformations in American armed forces history to get the Army “back in balance” and prepare it for 21st century warfare. General Casey successfully led the Army’s most sweeping restructuring since World War II to reorganize and reinvigorate his organization, in both its structure and culture – all while sending 150,000 soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan every year. In this engaging and enlightening presentation, General Casey outlines the vision, strategy and tactics he undertook to transform a stretched 1.1 million-person institution into a more agile, resilient, versatile and powerful force than ever before. General Casey also details strategies for improving logistics, avoiding “burn-out” and helping your organization learn to recognize the internal and external factors that will help your leaders plan, execute, control and assess operations in a complex global and business environment.
Although military operations inherently contain elements of risk, danger and uncertainty, the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan elevate this premise to an entirely new level -- patrolling narrow streets packed with potential attackers, never knowing where the next lethal bomb lurks, or walking in an open field – unaware if the next step will be your last. This complex, fluid and lethal environment necessitates preparation for a range of contingencies, flawless execution, and the agility to alter direction when plans don’t pan out as anticipated. These are the perpetual, perilous conditions in which the U.S. Army operates and for which General George Casey had to effectively prepare the Army for each and every day as its Chief of Staff.
Drawing from his extensive experience working and leading in the world’s most violent hotspots, General Casey illustrates how to successfully operate in an uncertain environment, and how to not only minimize risk but capitalize on it. Opportunity presents itself when leaders are prepared to confidently address a situation rather than shrink from it. In today’s volatile economic and political climate, organizations must effectively prepare for unanticipated situations – by seeking out vulnerabilities and “looking around corners” using a disciplined and deliberate process. In this compelling discussion, General Casey offers practical, relevant and measurable strategies that organizations can implement immediately to “expect the unexpected,” mitigate risk and maximize success.
The current international security environment is one fraught with uncertainty, peril, tension, and opportunity. As the U.S. and the world evolve into a state of “persistent conflict,” terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and civil strife will continue to pose major threats to global economic and political stability. The remarkable military leadership positions General George Casey held in over four decades of service has bestowed him with an unparalleled perspective and insight on the challenging international environment facing the U.S. and its allies, and the diplomatic, economic, and military tools required to secure our future. As a dedicated and distinguished commander and Army Chief of Staff, General Casey provides a candid survey of current and future world trouble spots and shares how these areas of unrest could influence the political and economic landscape in the U.S. and across the globe.
Conventional warfare between nations has traditionally consisted of massed armies fighting each other. Now, however, the battle has increasingly become one of competing ideologies– led by a global extremist network that is relentless, fearless, and determined to defeat its enemies at all costs-- and operations "among the people." According to General Casey, we are entering an era of “persistent conflict” – a protracted confrontation among states, non-states, and individual actors who are increasingly willing to use violence to accomplish their political and ideological objectives.
Thus, an evolution of warfare – in strategy, structure, tools and operations-- must occur to effectively contain this threat and promote peace in this new world order. With over four decades of extraordinary service in many of the most volatile, bleak and dangerous locations around the world, former Army Chief of Staff General George Casey has been a key player and pioneer in recognizing and responding to this growing, deadly threat. With a focus not only on military solutions but stability operations in partnership with civil institutions, General Casey shares his brilliant insight, unsurpassed expertise and astute perspective on the landscape and tenets of 21st century warfare.
