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Oct 18, 2021 · Powell on leadership. In his memoir, “My American Journey,” Powell shared his detailed experiences in the Army. “Leadership is solving problems,” Powell wrote. “The day soldiers stop ...
Oct 18, 2021 · His famous “13 Rules of Leadership”, which first appeared alongside a 13 August 1989 profile of him in Parade magazine and subsequently provided the opening chapter for his 2012 memoir, It...
- Joe Sommerlad
- 1 min
Former four-star general, Colin Powell, was asked: How would you define the key characteristics of leadership? His answer was simple, without stalling: Trust. That sounds easy, but it’s very nuanced.
- Lesson One
- Lesson Two
- Lesson Three
- Lesson Four
- Lesson Five
- Lesson Six
- Lesson Seven
- Lesson Eight
- Lesson Nine
- Lesson Ten
"Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off." Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable if you're honourable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confr...
"The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership." If this were a litmus test, the majority of CEOs would fail. One, they build so many barriers to upward communication that th...
"Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world." Small companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached experts. They don't have the money to subsidize lofty elite...
"Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard." Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. ...
"Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant." Strategy equals execution. All the great ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can't be implemented rapidly and efficiently. Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to details, every day. (Think...
"You don't know what you can get away with until you try." You know the expression "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission?" Well, it's true. Good leaders don't wait for official blessing to try things out. They're prudent, not reckless. But they also realize a fact of life in most organizations: If you ask enough people for permission, you...
"Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so (just) because you might not like what you find." "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms. It's a mindset that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue tomorrow in ...
"Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavours succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds." In a brain-based economy, your best assets are people. We've heard this expression so oft...
"Organization charts and hence titles count for next to nothing." Organization charts are frozen, anachronistic photos in a workplace that ought to be as dynamic as the external environment around you. If people really followed organization charts, companies would collapse. In well-run organizations, titles are also pretty meaningless. At best, the...
"Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it." Too often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiar turfs and job descriptions. One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. But real leaders understand that, now...
Colin Powell’s leadership journey is a testament to the transformative power of exceptional leadership. Throughout his life, he exemplified the qualities and principles that make a leader great—character, integrity, empathy, and a commitment to service.
Colin Powell leaves a lasting leadership legacy through his powerful words of wisdom. The following are Colin Powell’s lessons on leadership, in quotes, along with my commentary: Leadership Lesson 1 – Sometimes You Piss People Off
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Sep 18, 2013 · At the heart of the book are Powell’s “13 Rules” — ideas that he gathered over the years that formed the basis of his leadership principals. Powell’s 13 Rules are listed below. They are full of emotional intelligence and wisdom for any leader. 1. It Ain’t as Bad as You Think!
