Colin Powell Quotes

Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude

Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress. We are clearing an area.' But you really don't defeat the Taliban by clearing an area. They move.

Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission.

We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.

You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy.

Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.

What could be more important than equipping the next generation with the character and competence they need to become successful

Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

Experts often possess more data than judgment.

The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise.

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.

Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.

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

The best method of overcoming obstacles is the team method

Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field who are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues.

It is not the role of the United States to dictate change, but to enter into discussions with our friends.

Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so just because you might not like what you find.

It is good if your enemy underestimates you. The dumber they think you are the more surprised they are when you kill them.

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.

We view Egypt as a good friend of America. We are in constant touch with them. We provide them economic and military assistance as part of our relationship.

The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfillment of its destiny.

It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

Free speech is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word; and not just comforting platitudes too mundane to need protection.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are not assertions. These are facts, corroborated by many sources, some of them sources of the intelligence services of other countries.

Leaders have followers. The primary role of a leader is to convey to those followers a sense of purpose, vision, and mission.

Luck tends to come to people who are prepared.

Trust is the glue that holds an org together & the lubricant that moves it forward.

An organization that is not facing up to people who are not getting the job done, is going to have difficulties.

Let's not forget that Congress bears a lot of responsibility for many of the problems we have now

The media only report stupid or careless answers, not stupid or unfair questions.

You should never be so involved with your position/job that when the position is gone your entire self image is gone with it.

The root cause of poverty is social injustice and the bad government that abets it

If everybody trusts one another, then the person who didn't prevail will faithfully execute the decision as if it was their idea.

We are not trapped in what the science of management says we can do. We are capable of doing what the art of leadership says is possible.

It takes more courage to send men into battle than to fight the battle yourself.

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.

There is only one China. Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation.

Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is "no." That's not America.

No war on the face of the Earth is more destructive than the AIDS pandemic.

We need to understand that we as citizens and as a government in any community throughout this country have no more important obligation than to educate those who are going to replace us.

It's not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney. It's who they have coming with them. I always keep my powder dry, as they say in the military.

There is no such thing as an unimportant person in an organization.

I have never seen a good organization where the standards weren't high.

My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our American journey together.

One of the fondest expressions around is that we can't be the world's policeman. But guess who gets called when suddenly someone needs a cop.

It is the job of leaders to eliminate uncertainty.

You don't know what you can get away with until you try.

Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.

Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families.

Always find different ways to accomplish the mission. Then run a counter-analysis and list the advantages and disadvantages. When you have done that, you are ready to make a decision.