On Character

Choices That Define a Life

By: General Stanley McChrystal

Narrated by: General Stanley McChrystal

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the bestselling author of Team of Teams and My Share of the Task, reflections on character, and who we choose to be.

“Reputation is what men and women think of us;

character is what God and angels know of us.”

—Thomas Paine

How to measure a life? After a career of service, retired four-star general Stanley McChrystal had much to contemplate. He pondered his successes and failures, his beliefs and aspirations, and asked himself, Who am I, really? And more importantly, who have I become? When I die, how will I be measured?

In the end, McChrystal came to a conclusion as simple as it was profound: the reality of who we are cannot be recorded in dates or accomplishments. It is found in our character—the most accurate, and last full measure, of who we choose to be.

On Character offers McChrystal’s blueprint for living with purpose and integrity, challenging us to examine not just our deeds but who we become through them. Drawing from a lifetime of experience, he distills profound insights on setting and meeting standards, aligning actions with beliefs, and offers practical advice on overcoming obstacles and pursuing self-improvement.

According to McChrystal, character is not a trait inherited at birth, nor does it automatically come from education, position, or experience. Character, instead, comes down to a succession of choices, most mundane, several momentous, that reveal the deep truth of our capacity for virtue.

In an era where understanding and upholding our ideals is more crucial than ever, On Character offers an inspiring roadmap for personal growth and integrity—a call to become our best selves, both as individuals and as Americans.

©2025 General Stanley McChrystal (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Greatest General since IKE

General McChrystal is the most qualified professional soldier to write on the subject of Character. An excellent read / listen. I've listened to this audio three times and gained insights each time. He's the most honorable General since Eisenhower!

This should be a mandatory reading for all people in leadership positions

I love this book because the General covers all aspects of of character. He a great reader to. This was a very enjoyable read.

Excellent , absolutely thought proving

Very thoughtful, powerful, and insightful read, thanks for sharing General , thanks for your decades of dedicated service to our great nation and great Army , I truly align and admire many of your afterthoughts, and has resonated with me deeply , your thought provoking stories had me pondering on my own two decades serving in the Army, what I did then , what I do now , and meaningful thought on what I'll do next, having had the chance to meet you in and out of uniform, read your other books, this truly made my reading a personal, yes fun experience again

Excellent with the exception of the production

General McChrystal is an impressive leader and this book is a valuable contribution to the leadership literature. I grew up with an army captain father who served in WWII and a major focus of his leading us a children was advising on the importance of character. McChrystal writes from the heart and from the head and I loved his book.

My only complaint is the production of the audio. It was great to hear McChrystal narrate his own book. However, the narration jumped from a lower register to an upper register of his voice and I found that immensely aggravating. I don't know whether it was the author moving closer or further away from the microphone, or the production, but this detracted from an otherwise terrific book.

Must Read, No, Seriously.

Every teacher, professor should mandate every student to read.
This book is great, very timely as to not the kind of leaders we have today and the kind of leaders we want in the future.
A very good read for self-character check, finding some inspiration and/or motivations in a very fast changing and challenging world.

An American man of character

General McChrystal's honest, sober, often funny and very moving reflection on his character and challenging career in the military, academia and business will sit next to Marcus Aurelius's Meditations in my Library. Like Meditations, McChrystal's book deserves to be read, reread and taken to heart.

Thank you, General McChrystal!

I feel that General McChrystal’s choice to write this book was like a personal gift to me, and I am grateful to him for it.

Makes you think

Please read this with an open mind and take time to think and reflect on the subjects covered. It is not too late to make course corrections in your own life as well as to prepare the next generation to deal with life’s challenges

Thanks for your service to our nation.

I appreciated his candor and perspective on many issues. Thanks for your service to our nation. Rangers lead the way!

Timing!

America needs this book more today than at anytime I can remember. Thank you for your service and dedication and for reminding us who we're supposed to be.