How did Admiral William McRaven go from the Navy to bestselling books and the University of Texas?

Admiral William McRaven. Navy SEAL and 4-star admiral who oversaw the bin Laden raid, then turned a commencement speech into a string of bestselling books and led the 14-campus University of Texas System.

In the military

1977 to 2014 (37 years). Commissioned an ensign in 1977 through Naval ROTC after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin (journalism). Navy SEAL; commanded SEAL Team 3 (1994 to 1996) and Naval Special Warfare Group 1 (1999 to 2001); combat service in Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. Commanded Joint Special Operations Command (June 2008 to August 2011), which planned and oversaw Operation Neptune Spear, the May 2, 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden. 9th commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (August 2011 to August 2014). Retired as a 4-star admiral on Sept 1, 2014. Awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3 times) and the Bronze Star (2 times); runner-up for Time Person of the Year 2011.

The transition

• Gave the University of Texas at Austin commencement address on May 17, 2014, while still on active duty and months before retiring; the ‘make your bed’ speech became his civilian calling card.
• Retired from the Navy on Sept 1, 2014 after 37 years.
• Started as chancellor of the University of Texas System on Jan 5, 2015, about 4 months after retiring; served until May 31, 2018, stepping down citing chronic health issues and a wish to spend more time with family.
• As chancellor oversaw 14 institutions with about 220,000 students, 20,000 faculty and over 80,000 health care professionals, researchers and staff.
• Expanded the 2014 speech into the book Make Your Bed (2017), followed by Sea Stories (2019), The Hero Code (2021) and The Wisdom of the Bullfrog (2023).
• After UT: joined the ConocoPhillips board (October 2018) and the Palantir board (2022); senior advisor at Lazard; advised Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on defense matters.
• His advice to veterans: adjust to the civilian workforce rather than expecting it to adjust to you, and learn the language and culture of the new organization (Task & Purpose interview, March 23, 2017).

What came next

• Chancellor of the University of Texas System, 2015 to 2018 (14 institutions, about 220,000 students).
• Author of 8 books, 7 of them New York Times bestsellers, including Make Your Bed, Sea Stories, The Hero Code, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog and Conquering Crisis.
• Board seats including ConocoPhillips, the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Crisis Group and The Mission Continues; senior advisor at Lazard.
• Received a $50 million Courage and Civility Award from Jeff Bezos (2024).
• Distinguished American Award (2016) and Golden Plate Award (2014).

In McRaven’s own words

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” (Commencement address)

“Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often.” (Commencement address)

“If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.” (Commencement address)

“It’s better that you adjust to the workforce you are entering than expect the workforce to adjust to you. So you have to learn the language and you have to learn the culture of the organization you’re joining.” (Advice to transitioning veterans)

“Look, it’s no different than transitioning from one job to another in the military. You had better make sure you understand what’s expected of you.” (Warrior Money podcast interview)

“If you’re chasing the almighty dollar, you may wake up one day and find you’re terribly dissatisfied.” (Warrior Money podcast interview)

Lessons for your own transition

• Your story is an asset: McRaven turned 10 lessons from SEAL training into a speech and then bestselling books. A 30-year career is full of lessons civilians want to hear, if you package them simply.
• Come in with deference: he tells veterans to adjust to the new workforce, learn its language and culture, and let military leadership skills show over time rather than insisting on ‘the Navy way’.
• Line up the next mission early and choose it for purpose, not just pay: he moved into a university leadership role within about 4 months of retiring, and warns that chasing money alone can leave you dissatisfied.

More veterans who made the leap

See them all, and practical steps for leaving after a long career: How do I transition from the military to civilian work after 30 years?.