Home / Authors / Colin Powell

Colin Powell

Colin Powell Quotes

Former United States Secretary of State

Colin Powell, born on April 5, 1937, is a former United States Secretary of State known for his significant contributions to American politics and the military. He served as the National Security Advisor and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell is renowned for his exceptional leadership and diplomatic skills, becoming the first African American Secretary of State in U.S. history.

Filter quotes by topic

All People Leader Thinking Ifs Military World Should War Way Country States United Iraq Needs United States Nations Weapons Giving Hussein Organization

Famous Colin Powell Quotes

“Give me the right people and I don’t much care what organization you give me. Good things will happen. Give me the wrong people and it doesn’t matter what you do with the organization. Bad things will happen.”

People Giving Matter Happens Care Organization Give Me Good Things Bad Things

Author:Colin Powell

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

Should Clothes Organization Rebel Tolerate Emperor

Author:Colin Powell

“There is a war on terror that must be fought. Nobody's immune... And so rather than finding fault with what Spain has done by being aggressive in the war on terror, this should redouble everyone's efforts to go after terrorist organizations of any kind... Terror has to be brought to an end.”

Should Kind War Ends Done Effort Findings Organization Faults Terror Terrorist Aggressive Immune War On Terror

Author:Colin Powell

“Good leaders set vision, missions, and goals. Great leaders inspire every follower at every level to internalize their purpose, and to understand that their purpose goes far beyond the mere details of their job. When everyone is united in purpose, a positive purpose that serves not only the organization but also, hopefully, the world beyond it, you have a winning team.”

Source: It Worked for Me (Enhanced Edition): In Life and Leadership

“Every organization needs to be introspective, transparent, and honest with itself. This only works if everyone is unified on the goals and purposes of the organization and there is trust within the team. High-performing, successful organizations build cultures of introspection and trust and never lose sight of their purpose.”

Ifs Needs Purpose Culture Goal Loses Successful Team Honest Organization Sight Performing Introspection Transparent Introspective Unified Successful Organizations

Author:Colin Powell

“Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies. It is all about people-motivating people to get the job done. You have to be people-centered.”

People Done Jobs Plans Organization Strategy Get The Job Done

Author:Colin Powell

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

Building Essence Organization

Author:Colin Powell

“This is something else that is drilled into us in the military: Make sure you know who your replacement is, in case you become a casualty. So you have to have depth within an organization.”

Knows Cases Military Organization Depth Casualties Replacements

Author:Colin Powell

“I have seen many organizations where there is this sense of purpose in the headquarters but it never gets cascaded down to everybody within the organization.”

Purpose Organization Headquarters

Author:Colin Powell

“The best leaders are those who break that mission down into the organization's constituent parts, so that everybody understands their role and how it all builds into the whole.”

Whole Leader Roles Break Organization Missions Constituents Best Leader

Author:Colin Powell

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

People Done Jobs Organization Difficulty

Author:Colin Powell

“I have always admired the Linking Pin theory of management specialist Rensis Likert. It says that in every organization there are leaders who link the lower level to the upper level. What makes somebody an effective link as a leader is that he conveys down everything that above wants and he conveys up everything that below needs.”

Want Needs Levels Leader Theory Organization Management Links Pins Specialists

Author:Colin Powell

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

Standards Organization Good Organization

Author:Colin Powell

“Nobody wants to be in a mediocre organization. You don't have the same energy flowing through.”

Want Energy Organization Mediocre

Author:Colin Powell

“I think that military, corporate, and non-political organizations are pretty much similar.”

Thinking Political Military Organization Corporate Non Political

Author:Colin Powell

“Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.”

Next Organization Management Planning Titles Fancy

Book:My American Journey

Source: My American Journey

“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.”

Ifs Fall Passion Leader Organization Down And Intensity Falling Down

Author:Colin Powell

“Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.”

People Matter Motivational Plans Failing Theory Involved Succeed Organization Management Deeds Accomplish Attraction Accomplishment Endeavor

Book:My American Journey

Source: My American Journey

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

Persons Organization Unimportant

Author:Colin Powell

About the Author

Born: April 5, 1937
Known for: Former United States Secretary of State
Quotes: 355

Related Topics

People Leader Thinking Ifs Military World Should War Way Country States United Iraq Needs United States Nations Weapons Giving Hussein Organization

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

My American JourneyRelated source material

It Worked for Me: In Life and LeadershipRelated source material

It Worked for Me (Enhanced Edition): In Life and LeadershipRelated source material

A Soldier's Way: An AutobiographyRelated source material

Similar Authors

John F. KerryBrowse related quotes
Dick CheneyBrowse related quotes
Donald RumsfeldBrowse related quotes
Saddam HusseinBrowse related quotes
Condoleezza RiceBrowse related quotes
Wesley ClarkBrowse related quotes
Tony BlairBrowse related quotes
Sandy BergerBrowse related quotes
Barack ObamaBrowse related quotes
Ari FleischerBrowse related quotes