Colin Powell Quotes

Quotes about:

• Leadership is solving problems. 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 or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.

  Colin Powell

  Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership

  Colin L. Powell, Joseph E. Persico (2010). “My American Journey”, p.52, Ballantine Books

  541 Copy quote
• 

  There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

  Colin Powell

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

  1445 Copy quote

• 1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
  2. Get mad, then get over it.
  3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
  4. It can be done!
  5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
  6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
  7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
  8. Check small things.
  9. Share credit.
  10. Remain calm. Be kind.

  Colin Powell

  Morning, Fall, Thinking

  Colin L. Powell, Joseph E. Persico (2010). “My American Journey”, p.886, Ballantine Books

  418 Copy quote
• 

  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

  Jobs, Organization, People

  331 Copy quote

• None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows.

  Colin Powell

  Change, Courage, Military

  315 Copy quote
• 

  A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.

  Colin Powell

  Motivational, Dream, Determination

  427 Copy quote

• Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.

  Colin Powell

  Wisdom, Mean, People

  387 Copy quote

• Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems
  with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who
  never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has
  a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the
  bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone
  who's not going anywhere.

  Colin Powell

  Ideas, People, Succeed

  403 Copy quote
• 

  If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.

  Colin Powell

  Inspirational, Motivational, Attitude

  Colin L. Powell, Joseph E. Persico (2010). “My American Journey”, p.198, Ballantine Books

  295 Copy quote

• When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I'll like it or not. Disagreement, at this state, stimulates me. But once a decision is made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.

  Colin Powell

  Loyalty, Mean, Thinking

  425 Copy quote

• Good leaders set vision, missions, and goals. Great leaders inspire every follower at every level to internalize their purpose, and to understand that their purpose goes far beyond the mere details of their job. When everyone is united in purpose, a positive purpose that serves not only the organization but also, hopefully, the world beyond it, you have a winning team.

  Colin Powell

  Jobs, Team, Winning

  Colin Powell (2012). “It Worked for Me (Enhanced Edition): In Life and Leadership”, Harper Collins

  246 Copy quote

• The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

  Colin Powell

  Successful, Thinking, People

  355 Copy quote

• Don't just show kindness in passing or to be courteous. Show it in depth, show it with passion, and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice; it's about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.

  Colin Powell

  Kindness, Nice, Passion

  185 Copy quote

• 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 Powell

  Class, Giving, Leader

  223 Copy quote

• When you wrestle with a pig, he has fun, and you just end up dirty.

  Colin Powell

  Fun, Dirty, Pigs

  22 Copy quote

• The best way to create a winning team is to train them, give them everything they need to get the job done and second, make sure they know what the job is and what the job will be. So you connect strategy to resources.

  Colin Powell

  Jobs, Team, Winning

  36 Copy quote

• Every organization should tolerate rebels who tell the emperor he has no clothes

  Colin Powell

  Organization, Clothes, Rebel

  "The Powell Principles". Book by Oren Harari, 2002.

  39 Copy quote

• Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.

  Colin Powell

  Friendship, Kindness, Receiving

  68 Copy quote

• You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.

  Colin Powell

  Choices

  Colin L. Powell (1995). “My American Journey”, Random House Incorporated

  59 Copy quote

• Whenever you start-give it your best. The opportunities are there to be anything you want to be. But wanting to be someone isn't enough; dreaming about it isn't enough; thinking about it isn't enough. You've got to study for it, work for it, fight for it with all your heart and soul, because nobody is going to hand it to you.

  Colin Powell

  Dream, Heart, Fighting

  109 Copy quote

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

  Colin Powell

  Inspirational, Military, Work

  94 Copy quote

• Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.

  Colin Powell

  Inspirational, Hate, Trying

  48 Copy quote

• Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.

  Colin Powell

  Motivational, Leadership, Mean

  Colin L. Powell, Joseph E. Persico (2010). “My American Journey”, p.85, Ballantine Books

  100 Copy quote

• Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.

  Colin Powell

  Motivational, Organization, People

  Colin L. Powell, Joseph E. Persico (2010). “My American Journey”, p.172, Ballantine Books

  109 Copy quote

• Always do your best. Somebody is watching you.

  Colin Powell

  34 Copy quote

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