Colin Powell Quotes

But the wonderful thing about our democratic system is that anyone can jump in regardless of qualifications and present himself or herself to the American people, whether you are a former general, a former politician, a fool, or whatever. Quoted in The NPR Interviews 1996, edited by Robert Siegal

Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies. It is all about people — motivating people to get the job done. You have to be people centered.

Colin Powell

But leaders are not gods. Their understanding is never totally clear, totally accurate, totally certain. Every leader is human... imperfectly human. Water-walkers sometimes fail, and quiet walkers sometimes end up on top. Leaders need to watch all their subordinate; work with all of them, encourage the hotshots, but invest in the others. Always be prepared to change your mind, however firmly made up, when dealing with those infinitely faceted beings we call people. The leader must never forget that he may end up working for one of them.

An ADC is a division commander on training wheels. By Army custom, I was at Fort Carson to soak up the skills and mores for division leadership. Some commanding generals are happy to delegate broadly to their ADCs while they sit back and watch. Hudachek stood at the other end of the continuum. I had a sense that he would have been just as happy if his two ADCs disappeared. He ran the division, and we were permitted to study at the master’s knee. Which did not make what I set out to do any easier — or wiser.

Don't get me wrong. I don't look down on intelligence gatherers, and I don't mean to condemn any specific intelligence staff or the intelligence community. It's a hard, stressful, vitally necessary job. During my career I've worked with intelligence agencies and experts of every kind, from a young lieutenant, battalion-level intelligence officer to all sixteen branches of the U.S. intelligence community. With rare exceptions, intelligence analysts do all they can to give you the information and facts you need to understand the enemy and the situation and come up with the best decision. I found over the years that my intelligence staffs told the best story when I worked with them as they were putting it together. I questioned them constantly; I sent written analyses back, loaded with scribbles in the margins; I challenged them to defend their analyses. Staffs appreciated the challenge. They wanted to get the story right as much as I did.

Perpetual optimism is a force leveler

There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.

We are rightfully outraged when anyone attacks or desecrates our flag. Few Americans do such things and when they do they are subject to the rightful condemnation of their fellow citizens. They may be destroying a piece of cloth, but they do no damage to our system of freedom which tolerates such desecration.

I'm not perfect but I'll be the creator of perfection.

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence

Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.

Our strategy in going after this army is very simple. First we are going to cut it off, and then we are going to kill it.

The people in my life made me what I am.

Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through the argument debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.