Colin Powell: Military leader, Statesman Essay

Most people recognize Colin Powell as one of the most admired and popular leaders of our time. Often times in leadership you will not always be popular or admired, so what makes this leader different? It was those core values ingrained in him at early age by his parents that would shape him as a future leader (Koltz & Powell, 2012). As with any great leader he’s had his fair share of trials and tribulations, but like an infantry officer he continued to press forward. Colin Powell has been a visionary and ethical leader since the early days of Persian Gulf to Washington’s corridors (Roth, 1993). Throughout my research he has become a personal inspiration for me due to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him. Let’s take a brief look into his background to provide a better understanding of his leadership style.

There are a variety of ways to define both leader and leadership. There is not, however, a clear definition of how to become one. There is no set list of mandatory traits, either innate or learned, that a person must embody to be considered successful or proved a failure. What I feel it takes is the right mix of strengths and weaknesses in a given situation to demonstrate effectiveness. No one person has abilities without accompanying deficiencies. It’s all in the way they are balanced. The balance in the way one uses his or hers’ abilities will ultimately determine the type of leadership one has throughout time. To support these claims I will examine a well-known leader throughout the military, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. This essay

Over Homecoming Weekend I was given the honor and privilege to speak and listen to some of America’s greatest heroes. Distinguished servicemen and women from many of our wars, whom risk their own lives, took the time to discuss their experiences and what they learned translated into a very enlightening and imparted on me a perspective of leadership which many do not ponder. Although all the prominent members of the panels and discussion instilled in me a portrait of what it means to embody a good leader, General Peter Pace USMC retired, illustrated and exemplified everything a good officer and leader should. General Pace retired with over 40 years of service in the Marine Corps. Likewise, among his many other accolades he was the first Marine

His last military assignment lasting from October 1, 1989 to September 30, 1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. At age 52, he became the youngest officer, and first Afro-Caribbean American, to serve in this position (Wikipedia, 2009). In 1989, he joined the ranks of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Alexander Haig as one of three generals since World War II to reach four-star rank without ever being a divisional commander. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War (Wikipedia, 2009). It was during these wars in which Powell earned his nickname, “the reluctant warrior”

Colin Powell’s choices in his life directly affected his level of success. His reputation as a four star general showed the world he was serious about his career. Throughout his career, he received many awards for his actions and his bravery. The reason that Colin Powell became an American leader is because he did many great things for our country. One of Powell’s most outstanding awards was the Soldier’s Medal for saving his comrades from a burning helicopter. The Bronze Star for acts of heroism in combat and the Purple Heart for being wounded in service were given to him in honor of his outstanding service.

Colin Powell was a very successful man, he quoted could every single day. “What I wanted was to do the best I. .By doing my best every day, day after day, year after year, I finally got to the top” and he did.

This book explores into the military life of Collin Powell, creating an open door for leaders to understand and grow from Powell’s life moments. Powell’s book “It worked for me” provides life experiences for readers. These life moments where build over time from the growth of his career through the military. Allowing readers into his personal life and beyond, leaving readers with messages to take from. Providing readers with military stories, sympathetic moments and acedenotes from Powell. Sometimes life gets in the way and you should not let it get you down. Let the situation go and give it another try tomorrow, with a clear mind to take the situation with control. Powell, grew as a person over those years from being a leader and growing into leadership positions. Those life moments had taught him something important about his life and the roles in leadership. Each, section of the book is divided into parts reflecting those experiences

As a Non Commissioned Officer in the Pennsylvania Army Nation Guard, I realize the importance and value of good leadership. A leader has to be able to understand and support their men, have initiative, be quick on their feet, and accept responsibility for their actions. The personal traits that I look for in a leader are courage, commitment, candor, competence, and integrity. Out of these the most important one to me, is integrity. A man’s word is his bond and the most important leadership trait there is. Looking back, the man I see as a great leader that possesses these traits is Ret. General Colin Powell. Colin Powell is one of the greatest military leaders in this country’s history. He served this country

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Gen. Colin L. Powell’s philosophical influence on my development as a person and a leader. In his book "It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership," the retired four-star general and former secretary of state shares the 13 rules he lives by and how he learned them, also known as the 13 rules of leadership. These ideas that he gathered over the years, from sticky notes posted on his desk, helped form the basis of his leadership principals. As a National Guard Soldier, husband and father, I have found these tips and stories helpful, provocative and applicable to my military and civilian life. These stood out to me and I will explain how I apply them to my leadership style.

General Powell displays transformation leadership through individualized consideration. “IC involves dealing with others as individuals and considering their needs, abilities, and aspirations as you work together to further their development.” General Powell’s Army background influences the idea of taking raw iron and fashioning it into a sword; as noted in his quote “leaders are made, not born” implies leadership is a shaping process. Transformational leaders who display individual consideration tend to coach and mentor, excel in two-way communications, listens effectively, and personalize interactions with subordinates. Part of General Powell’s principle of empowerment is an investment in the leadership potential of team members. This investment is necessary in sustaining productive organizations.

Colin Powell’s Choices directly affected the outcome of his life.The thing that started it all was just an ordinary high school program called ROTC, which means “Reserved Officers Training Corps”.When he joined the ROTC, he thought like it was going to be the beginning of his life story.You guessed it!Before long he earned the rank of commander of his ROTC unit.After a while in the ROTC, he graduated as the highest rank in the corps a “cadet colonel”.Clearly this was the beginning of his military career.

During his distinguished military career, General Colin Powell exemplified what it means to be a great leader. In a briefing given to the Outreach To America Program, General Powell outlined 18 principals that all leaders should strive to encompass. After reviewing his brief, three of these principals stuck out “Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off”, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them” and “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”. These three principals resonate with my personal experiences in the military and in leadership.

As a career Soldier and Senior NCO you have the incredible opportunity to influence a great amount of Soldiers as they serve our country. What you do each day while wearing the uniform builds your legacy as an Army Leader. You can be remembered as a toxic leader or you can build a legacy that will have a positive impact on your generation and generations of Soldiers after you leave the military. The purpose of this paper is to identify 1SG Blake Beasley who had a profound impact on my growth of leadership abilities and individual Soldier skills through his impeccable character, presence, and commitment to standards. 1SG Beasley’s attributes and competencies have greatly contributed to my personal growth as an Army Leader, the Army and NCO Corps, and have helped me discover the legacy that I would like to leave behind for my Soldiers. The legacy I will leave puts Soldiers first and takes care of them but always holds them to the standard.

According to given task and my aspiration in the future, I will attempt to express my reflection in two of four mission specific outcomes based on GEN Powell’s autobiography: strategic leaders and

The book, Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell by Oren Harari provides an interesting overview of the leadership exhibited by one of the globally known bottom-line leaders in the United States. The exceptional perspective on the role leadership plays is provided in the book, using Powell as the case study. From the perspective provided by the author, the leader is revealed as one who was able to portray successful leadership within the military, although it is a place in which is hard to achieve side-by-side leadership. On the contrary, Powell is able to demonstrate that leadership is more about responsibility and accountability as opposed to privilege and rank. It is all about complete commitment towards a common mission, portraying audacity and determination, evaluation of standards of performance, attending to details, overcoming the status quo, and empowering followers.