A Leadership Conversation with General Mark Milley
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN. MARK MILLEY, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, has had multiple command and staff positions in six divisions as well as a Special Forces Group over the past 44 years. From his roles as a Commanding General, and as principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council, General Milley’s depth of experience as a universally admired leader is one few can rival. General Milley’s grasp of risk assessment, strategy, accountability, and how to drive teams and missions to success in the face of the unknown is relevant to leaders at every level who are looking to achieve greatness.
Why Service Matters
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN. MARK MILLEY’s parents, both WWII Veterans, initially inspired him to commit to a life of selfless service. After a 44 year military career, Milley gained a deep understanding of the meaning of service. Milley shares his insights on why service matters, different ways to serve, and the far-reaching impact a life of service can have personally, professionally, on American society writ large, and on a global scale.
Geopolitical Trends & Strategic Risk
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN. MARK MILLEY, offers insights on current geopolitical trends to help organizations assess strategic costs, benefits, and risks in order to make the best business decisions possible for the complex world we live in today.
The Future Military Operating Environment and the Changing Character of War
As the pace of technological change continues to increase, the conduct of war will significantly transform. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN. MARK MILLEY offers insights on how war will change in the future, how the military is preparing for those changes, the domestic and global implications of these changes, and how organizations can develop situational awareness to navigate geo-political uncertainty.
Strategic and Crisis Decision-Making Frameworks
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN. MARK MILLEY provides insights into short, medium and long-term strategic decision-making within constrained environments of limited time and resources. Milley also offers lessons-learned into strategic decision-making in times of crisis and provides useful techniques to define problems, set conditions, evaluate risk, and implement decisions.
General Mark Milley breaks down what makes an effective leader at every organizational level
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN. MARK MILLEY has developed a unique perspective on organizational leadership during his time as the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. Gen. Milley has lead teams and advised our Nation's senior leaders through multiple complex and high-risk crises and high consequence decision making. In his assessments of leadership, Gen. Milley pulls back the curtain on how leaders thrive. He dives into the nuances of what he calls direct and indirect leadership and the personality traits best suited for each, as well as how to spot a leader and encourage their growth. In conversations that will resonate with both C-Suite executives and team members looking to find their own path as a leader, General Milley offers grounded advice on contributing in meaningful ways to workplaces in all industries.
Watch Gen. Mark Milley’s farewell speech on PBS NewsHour here >>
Watch Gen. Mark Milley in conversation on 60 Minutes here >>
Gen. Mark Milley believes AI is a driving force in changing the character of war
GEN. MARK MILLEY often discusses the changing character of war. He explores the shifts that have naturally occurred over the centuries due to technological advancement, focusing now on space, cyber, AI and digital battlefields. As many prominent nations gain access to these technologies, Gen. Milley believes that the U.S. must be prepared accordingly. Gen. Milley predicts a future wherein AI will speed up and automate decision-making at many crucial touchpoints across sectors.
Exploring the possibilities of AI use with Gen. Milley, a battle-tested leader, provides an unprecedented understanding of applying digital transformation scale for high-stakes applications. Gen. Milley told 60 Minutes, “Artificial intelligence has a huge amount of legal, ethical, and moral implications that we're just beginning to start to come to grips with.” Gen. Milley’s holistic understanding of advancing technology’s human impacts provides valuable insights into how we go forward.
Watch Gen. Mark Milley in conversation on 60 Minutes here >>
Watch Gen. Mark Milley’s farewell speech on PBS NewsHour here >>
Gen. Mark Milley is an expert in world affairs
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN. MARK MILLEY, addressed many geopolitical challenges during his time in office. During his four-year tenure, he handled seemingly endless crises including the end of a two-decade U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, rising tensions with China, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea, and terrorism and COVID among many others. Additionally, he managed military relations with over 150 U.S. allies and partners around the globe. His leadership experience during turbulent times has uniquely equipped Gen. Milley as a qualified expert on the current international situation.
Gen. Milley shares an invaluable perspective for anyone wanting to understand the impact of current conflicts. He provides expert advice to boards of directors and leadership teams making strategic decisions and identifying vulnerabilities. Rob Bauer of the Netherlands, who chairs NATO’s military committee, told the Associated Press, “At a time when your nation’s constitutional values were shaken to their core, you made sure that the U.S. military continued to embody the values and ideals of the nation… [and] prevented many a crisis from spiraling out of control.”
Watch Gen. Mark Milley in conversation on 60 Minutes here >>
Watch Gen. Mark Milley’s farewell speech on PBS NewsHour here >>
How Gen. Mark Milley defends democracy
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN. MARK MILLEY, occupied the highest-ranking office in the military during a turbulent time in U.S. history. He served under both Democratic and Republican presidencies. The Atlantic said in a profile, “Milley did as much as, or more than, any other American to defend the constitutional order.”
Any organization can benefit from Gen. Milley’s deep leadership experience in one of the most important roles in the U.S. government. More than a lesson in history or current events, Gen. Milley helps us understand the significance of this moment in time as a potential turning point in American history and the protection of democracy. His service in uniform reflects his inspirational perseverance, honor, and commitment to his ideals. Gen. Milley told NPR, “Give them the best advice you got, give them the best shot you got, and you're going to do just fine, but never lose your integrity and never, ever turn your back on the Constitution.”
Watch Gen. Mark Milley in conversation on 60 Minutes here >>
Watch Gen. Mark Milley’s farewell speech on PBS NewsHour here >>
General (Ret.) Mark A. Milley most recently served as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council. He retired Sept. 29, 2023.
Prior to becoming Chairman on October 1, 2019, General Milley served as the 39th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
A native of Massachusetts, General Milley graduated from Princeton University in 1980, where he received his commission from Army ROTC.
General Milley has had multiple command and staff positions in six divisions and a Special Forces Group throughout the last 44 years to include command of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division; the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; Deputy Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division; Commanding General, III Corps; and Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command.
While serving as the Commanding General, III Corps, General Milley deployed as the Commanding General, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Forces Afghanistan. General Milley's joint assignments also include the Joint Staff operations directorate and as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
General Milley's operational deployments include the Multi-National Force and Observers Task Force, Sinai, Egypt; Operation JUST CAUSE, Panama; Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, Haiti; Operation JOINT FORGE, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq; and three tours during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan. GEN Milley also deployed to Colombia, Somalia and served two years on the DMZ in the Republic of Korea.
In addition to his bachelor's degree in political science from Princeton University, General Milley has a master's degree in international relations from Columbia University and one from the U.S. Naval War College in national security and strategic studies. He is also a graduate of the MIT Seminar XXI National Security Studies Program. General Milley is currently a distinguished fellow in residence with the Security Studies Program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a Charles and Marie Robertson visiting professor and visiting lecturer at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA).
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