When you’ve led over 300,000 troops and executed a flawless military drawdown from a war zone, strategic planning isn’t a theory — it’s a tested system for success. That’s what makes General Chris McFadden a different breed of business consultant.
He’s not just teaching vision. He executes vision — and helps business owners like us do the same.
I sat down with General McFadden, founder of Drive Forward Visionary, to unpack the real-world mechanics of translating vision into execution. Whether you’re leading a team of five or fifty thousand, what Chris teaches can save years of drift, rework, and burnout.
From Battlefield to Boardroom: Chris McFadden’s Mission
Chris spent 35 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a two-star general. His last posts? Deputy Director of Joint Strategic Planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of Strategy, Plans & Policy for the entire U.S. Army.
He now brings that high-level strategic clarity to business owners through his consulting firm, Drive Forward Visionary. His mission is simple: help visionary leaders execute what matters most.
But this isn’t corporate fluff. This is a proven model forged through decades of strategic wins under maximum pressure.
Three Leadership Lessons That Redefine Business Growth
Chris boiled down decades of high-stakes leadership into three principles that apply directly to business owners:
1. Selflessly Serve
Your company isn’t about you. It’s about the mission and the people. Chris learned this when his career stalled early on. Instead of coasting, he poured himself into mentoring his peers — many of whom would later become senior leaders themselves. This shift from self-promotion to service unlocked everything.
“It’s not about what you get. It’s about what you give.” – Chris McFadden
2. Take Care of People
At every level, the best leaders develop those around them. In Chris’s military classrooms, the one leadership trait everyone agreed on wasn’t intelligence or charisma — it was taking care of people.
That’s not soft. That’s operational integrity. The better your team performs without you, the more scalable and valuable your business becomes.
3. Be a Team Player
Especially at the highest levels. As Chris says, “When senior leaders aren’t aligned, the whole system becomes dysfunctional.” Strategy isn’t a solo sport — it requires unity, clarity, and cadence across departments.
These three principles create a culture that doesn’t rely on heroic effort. They build companies that run on structure, not stress.
How the Army Plans a Drawdown — And What You Can Learn From It
When President Obama ordered the drawdown from Iraq, Chris was tapped to lead the strategic planning effort — responsible for withdrawing 300,000+ people, 3.5 million pieces of equipment, and 500 bases… all without losing a single soldier.
That level of execution takes more than grit. It requires:
- A clear vision
- A dedicated planner
- A rigorous process of collaboration and review
Chris now teaches that same three-part system to business owners:
The Vision Execution Framework
- You Need a Planner – Someone on your team (not you) who owns execution
- You Need a Plan – Start with your destination, work backwards with milestones
- You Need a Process – A repeatable cadence of review, collaboration, and accountability
This isn’t theoretical. It’s the system that allowed Chris to lead global strategy for the U.S. military… and it’s what your business needs to scale without chaos.
Why Most Companies Fail at Strategy (and How to Fix It)
Chris jokes that most businesses don’t have a CSO — a Chief Strategy Officer. They have a CNO: a Chief No Officer, someone whose entire job is putting out fires.
You’ve probably lived that.
You want to grow, but you’re too buried in operations to step back and design a real future. Chris offers the solution: build your Gorilla Finishing School. Start taming chaos by planning forward instead of reacting backward.
And when you do, everything changes.
A Business Owner’s Wake-Up Call
If you’re running your business by reacting to the day’s emergencies, you’re not running a company — you’re wearing a job.
Chris McFadden teaches you how to flip that. His work is a lifeline for founders who want clarity, longevity, and legacy.
Final Thoughts: Drive Forward
If you’re ready to stop reacting and start executing, reach out to Chris at Drive Forward Visionary.
This isn’t theory. This is the blueprint that brought 300,000 troops home safely — and it can bring your business back from burnout and into purpose-driven growth.
“You don’t scale with passion. You scale with process.”
– Justin D. Maxwell