Colin Powell has collected thoughts on leadership throughout his life. Here is a list of thirteen aphorisms he kept under the glass top of his desk, as published in Parade magazine in 1989.
1. I 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. Check small things.
8. Share Credit.
9. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding
12. Don't take counsel of you fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
I am currently reading Soldier, a biography of Colin Powell written by Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post. She presents the story exceptionally well.
As I am reading about Colin Powell's life I am finding myself challenged greatly in the area of decision-making. So often, I make decisions with little thought and only short-term ramifications. As a leader of this nation, his decisions affected the world on a global scale, and each one required thoroughness and persuasiveness to see it collaboratively accomplished. Realizing that he, too started off with small decisions, it raises the bar for me, encouraging me to take a longer look at the why and how of my decision making, and ensuring that I truly will achieve the results I desire for my family and the world around me.
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