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William McRaven

Author

Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (2011-2014) and of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (2008-2011); Chancellor of the University of Texas System (2015-2018); Bestselling Author

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About

Gender: Male

Nationality: United States

Languages: English

Travels from: United States

Engagement Types

Themes

Websites

Wikipedia Profile

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biography Highlights

Led the mission that resulted in the capture of Osama bin Laden in 2011.
Served as Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and Chancellor of the University of Texas System.
Author of several bestselling books, including "Make Your Bed" and "The Wisdom of the Bullfrog," offering leadership insights from his 37-year Navy SEAL career.

Biography

Admiral William H. McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy Four-Star admiral, best-selling author, and former Chancellor of the University of Texas System, draws on his extraordinary experiences to offer audiences insight on leadership, crisis management, overcoming adversity, U.S. foreign policy, geopolitics, and Navy SEAL operations. Using personal narratives drawn from his extraordinary experiences, he imparts lessons in teamwork, personal accountability, resilience, and leadership to his audiences.

McRaven is a recognized national authority on U.S. foreign policy and has advised Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and other U.S. leaders on defense issues. During his time in the military, he commanded special operations forces at every level, eventually taking charge of the U.S. Special Operations Command. His career included combat during Desert Storm and both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein and rescued Captain Phillips. McRaven is also credited with developing the plan and leading the Osama bin Laden mission in 2011.

As the Chancellor of the UT System, he led one of the nation’s largest and most respected higher education systems. As the chief executive officer of the UT System, McRaven oversaw 14 institutions that educated 220,000 students and employed 20,000 faculty and more than 80,000 healthcare professionals, researchers, and staff.

McRaven has been recognized for his leadership numerous times. In 2011, he was the first runner-up for TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year.” In 2012, Foreign Policy magazine named McRaven one of the nation’s “Top 10 Foreign Policy Experts.” In 2014, Politico magazine named McRaven one of the “Politico 50”, citing his leadership as instrumental in cutting through Washington bureaucracy. In 2015, he received the Intrepid Freedom Award for his distinguished service in defending the values of democracy. In 2016, McRaven was named the recipient of the Ambassador Richard M. Helms Award by the CIA Officers’ Memorial Foundation, and in 2018 he received the Judge William H. Webster Distinguished Service Award for a lifetime of service to the nation. He currently serves on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the National Football Foundation.

McRaven is the author of several books, including SPEC OPS: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe the World, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, and The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived. In 2023, he released The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy). An instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, the book draws on countless experiences from Admiral McRaven’s life, including navigating crises,management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas, to provide readers with the most important leadership lessons he has learned over his forty years of service.

Videos

Showreels

Topics

Make Your Bed

Drawing from his viral 2014 commencement speech with over 150 million views, Admiral William H. McRaven shares captivating stories from his Navy SEAL training, the Usama Bin Laden raid, and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Through these experiences, he presents the 10 life lessons learned during his 37-year military career. Admiral McRaven’s talk is both educational and inspiring, offering practical wisdom and engaging anecdotes.

Available: In person, Virtually

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog

McRaven relates stories from his #1 NYTs bestseller, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog— a tour de force about leadership from the factory floor to the C-suite. Entertaining, educational, inspirational; you will hear stories from the Civil War, WWII, the raid to get bin Laden and corporate leadership lessons that will help all your employees be better at working together and leading with purpose.

Available: In person, Virtually

A Conversation with Admiral William H. McRaven, USN (Ret.)

In this moderated discussion, Admiral William H. McRaven eloquently draws on his extensive career of 37 years of service as a Navy SEAL. The discussion addresses issues such as U.S. foreign policy, the current geopolitical landscape, leadership during high-stress situations, risk management, teamwork, resilience in the face of adversity, resourcefulness, personal accountability, and the determination to succeed. His presentations are distinctive and customized to meet the needs of your audience.

Available: In person, Virtually

Leadership: Taking Command

Admiral William H. McRaven captivates audiences with his exceptional leadership experiences, exploring today’s geopolitical environment and a look forward to America’s place in an ever-changing global community. His principles of leadership and risk management are applicable to any organization and he firmly believes in the necessity of preparation, order and discipline, knowing that they are naught without a distinct and meaningful purpose or goal. He shares impactful narratives, lessons and insights on authority amidst turmoil and instability, the force of teamwork and personal initiative, resilience in the face of opposition, and the unconditional importance of never giving up. He challenges his audience and encourages them to accept responsibility, be creative within the rules, take control of their circumstances, and maintain focus during times of conflict. Audience members are inspired to apply McRaven’s diligence, courage and risk management strategies to their own lives and put in place the tools that will help them not only succeed within their organization but also reach new levels of achievement.

Available: In person, Virtually

William'S

TESTIMONIALS

10 out of 10. People are raving about his performance.

Financial Services

Admiral William H. McRaven was fantastic! All of our guests were on the edge of their seats listening to McRaven’s stories and life lessons he has learned from being a Navy SEAL and the Commander of US Special Operations. He is likeable, humble and a true American hero. He received a well-deserved standing ovation.

Health Care

We had high hopes and expectations of Admiral McRaven as our 2019 Higher Ed Summit closing keynote speaker, and he completely surpassed all of them. Admiral McRaven has an authenticity and charisma that radiates from stage and his stories are woven with poignancy, humor, and inspiration. In addition to his talk being an exceptional one, he was also great to work with and took time to take photos with many participants. We highly recommend Admiral McRaven and would absolutely work with him again.

Technology

Books

Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations

Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden. Sea Stories begins in 1963 at a French Officers’ Club in France, where Allied officers and their wives gathered to have drinks and tell stories about their adventures during World War II-the place where a young Bill McRaven learned the value of a good story. Sea Stories is an unforgettable look back on one man’s incredible life, from childhood days sneaking into high-security military sites to a day job of hunting terrorists and rescuing hostages. Action-packed, humorous, and full of valuable life lessons like those exemplified in McRaven’s bestselling Make Your Bed, Sea Stories is a remarkable memoir from one of America’s most accomplished leaders.

The Hero Code Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived

“The Hero Code” is Admiral McRaven’s ringing tribute to the real, everyday heroes he’s met over the years, from battlefields to hospitals to college campuses, who are doing their part to save the world. When Bill McRaven was a young boy growing up in Texas, he dreamed of being a superhero. He longed to put on a cape and use his superpowers to save the earth from destruction. But as he grew older and traveled the world, he found real heroes everywhere he went — and none of them had superpowers. None of them wore capes or cowls. But they all possessed qualities that gave them the power to help others, to make a difference, to save the world: courage, both physical and moral; humility; a willingness to sacrifice; and a deep sense of integrity. “The Hero Code” is not a cypher, a puzzle, or a secret message. It is a code of conduct; lessons in virtues that can become the foundations of our character as we build a life worthy of honor and respect.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university’s slogan, “What starts here changes the world,” he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better. Admiral McRaven’s original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life’s darkest moments.

Conquering Crisis: Ten Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them

Admiral McRaven has inspired millions of readers to take charge of their lives and find success, using his military experience to impart wisdom on successful habits and leadership skills. This new collection of personal stories, parables, and pithy lessons sheds light on the ways we can rise to the occasion in times of crisis and act as leaders, no matter the situation.

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy)

The title “Bullfrog” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven was honored to receive this honor in 2011 when he took charge of the United States Special Operations Command. When McRaven retired in 2014, he had 37 years as a Navy SEAL under his belt, leading men and women at every level of the special operations community. In the ensuing four years, he served as Chancellor to the entire University of Texas System, with its 230,000 students and 100,000 faculty and health care workers. During those four decades, Admiral McRaven dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge, from commanding combat operations—including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Phillips, and the raid for Osama bin Laden. “The Wisdom of the Bullfrog” draws on these and countless other experiences from Admiral McRaven’s incredible life, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas, to provide readers with the most important leadership lessons he has learned over the course of his forty years of service.

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