The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.
COLIN POWELLMaybe we don’t put our young people in situations often enough where they’re allowed to fail. When you fail you gain experience, and with enough experience, you don’t fail as often.
More Colin Powell Quotes
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Experts often possess more data than judgment.
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First you train the followers to accomplish the mission. Second, you resource them: Make sure that they have the tools to do the job. Third, you reward them: You give them medals or bonuses.
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You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
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Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them.
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As a leader you set the tone for your entire team. Communicate your vision.
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All values are important, everyone who has ever touched my life in some way was a mentor for good or bad. Life is a blend, and a person is a blend of all the influences that have touched their lives.
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Always do your best. Somebody is watching you.
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I regret that the presentation I made at the UN turned out to be wrong. It was wrong on the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, but pretty much right on intentions and capabilities.
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It is good if your enemy underestimates you. The dumber they think you are the more surprised they are when you kill them.
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Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.
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I want to see policies that encourage every American to vote, not make it more difficult to vote.
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Give me the right people and I don’t much care what organization you give me. Good things will happen. Give me the wrong people and it doesn’t matter what you do with the organization. Bad things will happen.
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Treat people kindly. When you are kind to somebody and I don’t mean necessarily “buddy-buddy”, just show kindness and consideration. Show that people are worthy and you respect them and you are glad they’re with you.
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Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.
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The freedom to do your best means nothing unless you are willing to do your best.
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The essence of leadership is building bonds of trust in your organization.
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Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.
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Trust is the essence of Leadership.
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Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
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Trust is the glue that holds an org together & the lubricant that moves it forward.
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Don’t just count your days, make your days count.
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It is not the role of the United States to dictate change, but to enter into discussions with our friends.
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Pissing people off doesn’t mean you’re doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.
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Preferring members of any one group for no reason other than race or ethnic origin is discrimination for its own sake. This the Constitution forbids.
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One important element of leadership is taking care of the troops.
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The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.
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