Colin Powell Quotes

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

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

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

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

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.

Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.

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.

Respect for leaders by followers can't be mandated; it must be earned. It has to be given to leaders by their followers.

Get mad, then get over it.

Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.

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

A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.

Always be looking for that which you do well and that which you love doing, and when you find those two things together — man, you got it.

Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.

One of the greatest talents of all is the talent to recognize and to develop talent in others.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms.

Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

I think whether you're having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude.

The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort.

Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.

If a leader doesn't convey passion and intensity then there will be no passion and intensity within the organization and they'll start to fall down and get depressed.

Perpetual Optimism is a Force Multiplier.

The only bipartisanship you ever see is when they finally sign a bill and everybody says, 'Gee, isn't that wonderful?'

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

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

We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more.

The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.

Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn't go with it.

Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.

You know you're a good leader when people follow you out of curiosity.

As a leader you set the tone for your entire team. Communicate your vision.

Maybe 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.

Don't just count your days, make your days count.

The essence of leadership is building bonds of trust in your organization.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life giving speeches.

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

Trust is the essence of Leadership.

Be careful what you choose: You may get it.

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

Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.

Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them.

Always do your best. Somebody is watching you.

Foe means enemy. Now, will we have differences of opinion with the Russians? Yes. Will they get mad at us from time to time, and we get mad at them? That's part of the normal diplomatic relations.

The freedom to do your best means nothing unless you are willing to do your best.

Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.

Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved.

I was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, went to public school, got out of public college, went into the Army, and then I just stuck with it.

Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see the time when that number of nuclear weapons is down to zero and the world is a much better place.

Good leaders must know how to reward those who succeed and know when to retrain, move, or fire ineffective staff.

Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude