Leadership Secrets Of Colin Powell

Colin Powell’s “It Worked For Me in Life and Leadership” (2012) is a riveting book that discusses in great detail the simple but often-fundamental leadership principles that have been consigned to oblivion by most people and leaders. The evocative book provides a basis on which one can evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in leadership in all dimensions, particularly at the work place and suggests other areas of improvement that the reader can asses to ensure proper development. Through careful, frequent and honest evaluations from both self and others, it is possible for a person to become the best version of himself or herself; in turn, this contributes to a well-rounded leader.

Most people recognize Colin Powell as one of the most admired and popular leaders of our time. Often times in leadership you will not always be popular or admired, so what makes this leader different? It was those core values ingrained in him at early age by his parents that would shape him as a future leader (Koltz & Powell, 2012). As with any great leader he’s had his fair share of trials and tribulations, but like an infantry officer he continued to press forward. Colin Powell has been a visionary and ethical leader since the early days of Persian Gulf to Washington’s corridors (Roth, 1993). Throughout my research he has become a personal inspiration for me due to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him. Let’s take a brief look into his background to provide a better understanding of his leadership style.

“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.” This quote is profound in it’s own right but does it portray an author who is ethical and visionary? Could a man become a four-star general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State without holding these principles near and using them as a guide? As we explore Colin Powell’s legacy, we’ll find out.

According to the Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (BCEE) lesson on FRL (2016c), “idealized influence is the component of transformational behavior that portrays the leader as a role model”. Idealized influence encompasses honesty as well as taking ownership of the outcomes of ones actions and decisions. Colin Powell’s leadership foundation was built on honesty and he has always taken ownership of his actions. According to Colin Powell’s Autobiography, My American Journey (1995) early in Powell’s military career, he was true to his principles and put his career on the line when he had the courage to press a couple of thorny issues with his

Colin Powell has been an influence on the American public since early in his military career, for example, quickly rising up the ranks from second lieutenant to a four star general in the U.S. Army. Kinder and McConnaughy (2006) describes Colin Powell as one of the most youthful African American generals in the U.S. Armed Forces and in 1991 became chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. Powell became a national figure not just to African Americans, but to the whole American public in the course of the effective Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations in which ousted the Saddam Hussein Regime from Kuwait. According to Kinder and McConnaughy (2006) General Powell sustained his position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in the beginning of the Clinton administration. According to Harari (2002) during this period Powell’s intellectual prowess as a leader and follower are considerably more noticeable. Powell did not necessarily follow all the time, for example, Lacayo and Van Voorst (1993) illustrate Powell disagreeing with President Clinton to allow gay men and women to serve in the military and Powell ultimately accepted a resolution on the matter. After Powell’s left his military career he began other endeavors that became more of his lifetime achievements, for example, Vinnedge (2009) describes

This shows how respected he was among the Washington staff. This also shows the competence, candor, and integrity Powell posses throughout his term in Washington D.C. Colin Powell continues to advance through the ranks and through the staff jobs he was appointed to. He then served as senior military aide to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, helping to coordinate the invasion of Granada and the bombing of Libya (Biography.com, 2010). To help coordinate these attacks would have to take great courage, because there’s always a chance of casualties. He commits to these plans and excels with both operations.

“What I really wanted to do was the best I could very single day. By doing the best I could day after day, year after year, I finally got to the top.” That was Colin Powell’s standard to live by. His life was full of achievements, bravery, and service, always demonstrating his dedication to his country. Some people say that Mr. Powell’s good fortune was luck, do you think that is true? I disagree. Colin Powell’s choices directly affected the outcome of his life.

Secretary of Defense Gates’s greatest strategic leadership competency was communication. Secretary Gates gathered military, political and public support by communicating clearly and professionally.

General Powell highlights 18 lessons learned in leadership that are applied to successful companies, and how they are applied to leadership in his presentation to the Outreach Program, and the Sears Corporate Headquarters. These approaches can be applied not only in business but life in general. I will highlight three of the lessons that have impacted my career in the military

General Powell displays transformation leadership through individualized consideration. “IC involves dealing with others as individuals and considering their needs, abilities, and aspirations as you work together to further their development.” General Powell’s Army background influences the idea of taking raw iron and fashioning it into a sword; as noted in his quote “leaders are made, not born” implies leadership is a shaping process. Transformational leaders who display individual consideration tend to coach and mentor, excel in two-way communications, listens effectively, and personalize interactions with subordinates. Part of General Powell’s principle of empowerment is an investment in the leadership potential of team members. This investment is necessary in sustaining productive organizations.

Proposal: Colin Powell is a surprising man who accomplished with the vast majority of the colossal differing qualities in America. In the first place, he earned numerous awards in Viet Nam, one for sparing the lives of officers in a helicopter. Another Contribution is that he was the first African American to be the Chairman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thirdly, he was the first Black man to hold the title of President of National Security Affairs. At long last, his impact in Desert Storm picked up him national acknowledgment with his careful fight arranges. Colin Powell acquired numerous awards and accomplished numerous objectives, and helped numerous individuals, yet likely the most convincing part of his character is his determination

Warren Bennis, a renowned scholar in leadership studies said, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” (Bennis, 2014) Widely regarded as one of the greatest Generals in U.S. military history and one of the most important men of the 20th century, George C. Marshall was an extraordinary visionary and ethical leader. In this paper I will first, cover how George Marshall used his understanding of pressures for organizational change to transform the post WWI United States Army and how his transformational leadership put his vision into action. Next I will cover how George Marshall was an ethical leader through ethical behavior and how his fair-mindedness helped create and enact the Marshall Plan. Last, I will relate the principle of a visionary and ethical leader to my personal relevance.

According to our textbook written in 2016, Peter Northouse describes the skills model of leadership with an area for competencies which includes knowledge from career experiences. Bush held numerous positions that gave him knowledge on leadership abilities before becoming the president. From his brief military career to his oil company ventures then moving to politics, Bush gained much knowledge through his various career experiences. According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt, there is a continuum of leadership behavior that varies with use of authority by the manager to freedom of the subordinates. To explain this leadership concept we have learned in class, we can discuss the presidency of Bush.

Colin Powell’s choices directly affected the outcome of his life. Powell attended the city college of New York. Colin Powell joined the reserved officers training corps (ROTC). Colin felt a sense of purpose in the ROTC, than before long he earned the rank of commander in the ROTC unit.

Barak Obama has been an iconic leader in this nation for quite a while, even before he became President of the United States. Using his experiences from his childhood he motivated himself through college and Harvard Law School. After graduating from Harvard law, he proceeded in a career as a civil rights lawyer. He soon became a leader figure in the community, setting the stage for his chance to run for senator of Illinois. These steps soon lead up to him eventually becoming the President of the United States. During his stretch in leadership Barak incorporated many different types of leadership skills that he tailored to fit the needs of the greater good. From definitions in the textbook, Leadership Theory and Practice Seventh Edition, Barak exhibits examples of Transformational leadership, Path-Goal Theory (Supportive leadership), Adaptive leadership and Authentic leaderships.