McChrystal's one-meal-a-day practice had a two-edged sword effect on his staff: it created pressure for them to maintain the same discipline (the 'pain train'), and mythology grew up around it that caused people to worry they were letting him down if they didn't adopt the practice.
causalpending
Speaker
General Stanley McChrystalEvidence Quote
“the people who were on my personal staff... there was a pressure there because i i eat one meal a day... i think there's kind of an implied pressure and there's this also this mythology that grew up around it”
Source
A Masterclass on Leadership | Stanley McChrystal | Knowledge Project 132— The Knowledge Project PodcastCreated: 8/11/2026, 1:19:19 AM
My Notes
Loading notes...