Episode 27: Admiral (Retd) William McRaven: Making your bed and leading with integrity

The Centre for Army Leadership Podcast

In this week's Centre for Army Leadership Podcast episode, we have the honour to be joined by former 4* Admiral and Navy Seal Admiral William McRaven. Admiral McRaven's military career spanned an incredible 37 years, most notably commanding the Joint Special Operations Command, where he oversaw Operation Neptune Spear, the operation leading to the killing of Osama Bin Laden by Seal Team 6. In this candid interview, he speaks openly about his time on "the Teams" and shared personal anecdotes of where he failed — highlighting the importance of learning from failure, never quitting, and never shying away from the next hard decision when your previous one was wrong. In addition, Admiral McRaven speaks openly about the importance of followership and how leaders at every level in every organisation are a follower to somebody. Furthermore, he shared with us his leadership philosophy, shining a light on how "leadership is getting a job done with the people and resources you have while maintaining the reputation and integrity of the organisation." Finally, he talks about his world-famous 'make your bed' commencement address to the University of Texas and the values and thinking behind this iconic moment.