General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan:
One of his first moves in Afghanistan was to order US military and diplomatic convoys to keep a lower profile. His reasoning: "It was important not to seem arrogant and act as occupiers might," McChrystal said. "I know they were driving in a way they thought was best for their security, but I needed them to understand how totally offensive it was to Afghans."
His process in determining if additional troops were needed: "We analyzed, we calculated, we war-gamed and came to the conclusion we needed more troops."
While waiting for Obama to make a decision on Afghanistan: "Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely." Obama's respect for McChrystal multiplied. The President not only wants to hear McChrystal's assessment, but he demands that McChrystal tells him what he thinks.
McChrystal's unique motivational process: He sent his special operators copies of the Yeats poem "The Second Coming." He directed their attention to the lines "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity" and told them that their mission was to turn those lines around!
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