General David Petraeus | Strategic Leadership & Big Ideas

General David Petraeus is a Partner with the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in May 2013. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Optiv and FirstStream, a venture investor in more than 15 startups, and engaged in various academic endeavours.

Prior to joining KKR, General Petraeus dedicated over 37 years of his life to the U.S. military, serving with unwavering commitment.

His career culminated with six consecutive commands, five of which were in combat, including command of the 101st Airborne Division during the fight to Baghdad and the first year in Iraq, command of the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq, command of coalition forces in Iraq during the Surge, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

This is a remarkable episode, and we’ve not had a guest on the show who shouldered the same weight of leadership responsibility as General Petraeus. During our conversation, I asked him directly how he remained resilient and managed this level of responsibility.

We delved into the intricacies of strategy, leadership styles, and the art of getting things done in complex, fast-moving environments, enlightening our audience about these crucial aspects.

More about General Petraeus

Following retirement from the military and after Senate confirmation by a vote of 94-0, he served as Director of the CIA during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror, the establishment of important Agency digital initiatives, and significant investments in the Agency’s most important asset, its human capital.

General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy, and he is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College.

 

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Links mentioned in this episode:

‘Grant Takes Command’ by Bruce Catton: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316132403