Leadership Quotes by Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers ...

— Colin Powell

It is the job of leaders to eliminate uncertainty.

— Colin Powell

Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.

— Colin Powell

Leadership is solving problems.

— Colin Powell

Trust is the essence of Leadership.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

I think leadership is both a trained thing and a natural gift.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

Every human endeavor has leaders and followers, and your job as a leader is to inspire.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

I would not presume from this distance, nor would America presume to say who should be the leader of the Iraqi nation.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

“Miller’s example of humane leadership that does not always go by the book was not lost on me. When they fall down,…

— Colin Powell

The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them…

— Colin Powell

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have…

— Colin Powell

The great leaders that I have worked with are people who have a good sense of empathy with other people. They can…

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given…

— Colin Powell

Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies. It is…

— Colin Powell

Have a vision; but it's not enough to have a vision, you have to communicate that vision to others. You have to…

— Colin Powell

I understand that and I have had very candid discussions with Saudi leaders in the past. I respect their culture and their…

— Colin Powell

I have always admired the Linking Pin theory of management specialist Rensis Likert. It says that in every organization there are leaders…

— Colin Powell

It is not our place to decide who should lead the Iraqi people. If Saddam [Hussein] leaves or has to be forced…

— Colin Powell

Good leaders set vision, missions, and goals. Great leaders inspire every follower at every level to internalize their purpose, and to understand…

— Colin Powell

“The day you are not solving problems or are not up to your butt in problems is probably a day you are…

— Colin Powell

It is the US government's desire for the Iraqi people to lead themselves, not for any outside power to be the leadership…

— Colin Powell

Leadership is all about people … and getting the most out of people.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

The United States is still seen as the leader at the world that wants to be free.

— Colin Powell

One important element of leadership is taking care of the troops.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

You have achieved excellence as a leader when people will follow you anywhere if only out of curiosity.

— Colin Powell

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

— Colin Powell

The United States stands willing to work with a transformed Palestinian Authority with new leaders coming to the front.

— Colin Powell

Great leaders are those who are able to look reality in the face, however painful it may be, and deal with it.

— Colin Powell

The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that…

— Colin Powell

Actually, there is no more important task for a leader than to pick people. To make sure you have the very best…

— Colin Powell