General Colin Powell On Leadership
General Colin Powell On Leadership
General Colin Powell On Leadership
A Leadership Primer
LESSON 1
his were a litmus test, the majority of CEOs would fail. One, they build so
ny barriers to upward communication that the very idea of someone low
he hierarchy looking up to the leader for help is ludicrous. Two, the
porate culture they foster often defines asking for help as weakness or
ure, so people cover up their gaps, and the organization suffers accordin
al leaders make themselves accessible and available. They show concer
the efforts and challenges faced by underlings, even as they demand hig
ndards. Accordingly, they are more likely to create an environment whe
blem analysis replaces blame.
LESSON 3
all companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached
perts. They don't have the money to subsidize lofty elites, either. The
sident answers the phone and drives the truck when necessary; everyon
the payroll visibly produces and contributes to bottom-line results or the
ory. But as companies get bigger, they often forget who "brought them
dance": things like all-hands involvement, egalitarianism, informality,
rket intimacy, daring, risk, speed, agility. Policies that emanate from
ry towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field
o are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues. Real leaders are
lant, and combative, in the face of these trends.
LESSON 4
earn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partne
ut remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their
arning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and
zy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox
arry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you hav
yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership
ncourages everyone's evolution.
LESSON 5
"You don't know what you can get away with until you try."
t ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or
red. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms. It's a mind-set that
umes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, lin
predictable fashion. Pure fantasy. In this sort of culture, you won't find
ple who pro-actively take steps to solve problems as they emerge. Here
tle tip: don't invest in these companies.
LESSON 8
a brain-based economy, your best assets are people. We've heard this
pression so often that it's become trite. But how many leaders really "w
e talk" with this stuff? Too often, people are assumed to be empty chess
eces to be moved around by grand viziers, which may explain why so ma
p managers immerse their calendar time in deal making, restructuring an
e latest management fad. How many immerse themselves in the goal of
eating an environment where the best, the brightest, the most creative a
racted, retained and, most importantly, unleashed?
LESSON 9
oo often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiar turfs and job
escriptions. One reason that even large organizations wither is that
managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. But
eal leaders understand that, nowadays, every one of our jobs is becomin
bsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someon
lse does. Effective leaders create a climate where people’s worth is
etermined by their willingness to learn new skills and grab new
esponsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing their jobs. The most
mportant question in performance evaluation becomes not, "How well
id you perform your job since the last time we met?" but, "How much
id you change it?"
LESSON 11
ting from fad to fad creates team confusion, reduces the leader's credib
d drains organizational coffers. Blindly following a particular fad generat
dity in thought and action. Sometimes speed to market is more importa
n total quality. Sometimes an unapologetic directive is more appropriat
n participatory discussion. Some situations require the leader to hover
sely; others require long, loose leashes. Leaders honor their core values
they are flexible in how they execute them. They understand that
nagement techniques are not magic mantras but simply tools to be
ched for at the right times.
LESSON 12
ctive leaders understand the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Stupid. The
culate vivid, over-arching goals and values, which they use to drive daily
aviors and choices among competing alternatives. Their visions and
rities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and buzzword-laden. Their
sions are crisp and clear, not tentative and ambiguous. They convey an
avering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the pictu
he future they paint. The result: clarity of purpose, credibility of leadersh
integrity in organization.
LESSON 15
n't take action if you have only enough information to give you less than
percent chance of being right, but don't wait until you have enough facts
100 percent sure, because by then it is almost always too late. Today,
essive delays in the name of information-gathering breeds "analysis
alysis." Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually increases
LESSON 16
often, the reverse defines corporate culture. This is one of the main
sons why leaders like Ken Iverson of Nucor Steel, Percy Barnevik of Asea
wn Boveri, and Richard Branson of Virgin have kept their corporate staff
a bare-bones minimum - how about fewer than 100 central corporate
fers for global $30 billion-plus ABB? Or around 25 and 3 for multi-billion
cor and Virgin, respectively? Shift the power and the financial accountab
he folks who are bringing in the beans, not the ones who are counting
analyzing them.
LESSON 17
rb Kelleher of Southwest Air and Anita Roddick of The Body Shop would
ree: seek people who have some balance in their lives, who are fun to ha
t with, who like to laugh (at themselves, too) and who have some non-jo
orities which they approach with the same passion that they do their wo
are me the grim workaholic or the pompous pretentious "professional;”
help them find jobs with my competitor.
LESSON 18
"Command is lonely."
arry Truman was right. Whether you're a CEO or the temporary head of
roject team, the buck stops here. You can encourage participative
management and bottom-up employee involvement, but ultimately the
ssence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous
hoices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. I've seen
oo many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create
n informal, open, collaborative corporate culture, prepare to be lonely.
“Leadership is the art of accomplishing
more than the science of management
says is possible.”