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Quote by Colin Powell

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

Quote by Colin Powell

Author

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. more

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“Some people naturally have a sense of empathy and an understanding of how to bring their followers to do things. They become great politicians.”

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“I think you can improve on that natural ability with training and exposure to great leaders of the past and to management theories.”

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“I went to graduate school as a lieutenant colonel after I had been in the army for 12 or 13 years. I learned so much from all the great management theorists. It gave me a greater understanding of my army experience and showed me the gaps in my knowledge.”

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Author:Colin Powell

“When you're from the East Coast or you're from the South, people expect you to sound a certain way. So if you don't sound that way, people won't label you as that type of artist. For me, I had a whole new lane to create for myself being from Pittsburgh and being a Midwest artist.”

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“I worked with the Nato Military Committee. The Head of the Luxembourg Armed Forces had equal standing with me, and I had to respect that. He was the leader of the armed forces of a sovereign country. I had to make sure he never thought that I was looking down on them, merely because they had less power than we did. With that kind of approach you can develop bonds of trust. I tried to do the same thing with my colleagues when I was Secretary of State.”

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Author:Colin Powell

“There is no question about the fact that we had very serious disagreements with my German, French, and Russian colleagues over the Iraq war. But I never stopped talking.”

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“How can we be enemies when there is so much that pulls us together? But in general I found that I had to work with each one of my foreign colleagues in a way that was consistent with their system. Some are democracies, some are not.”

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Author:Colin Powell

“Another rule I have is: Don't let your ego get tied up in a policy dispute. Otherwise, if things don't go your way, you can end up breaking a relationship with somebody with whom you can't afford to break.”

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“I regret that the presentation I made at the UN turned out to be wrong. It was wrong on the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, but pretty much right on intentions and capabilities.”

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“Everybody makes bad decisions. I am sure I have made my share of them over 40 years of service. Or I have made good decisions and have been overruled. The real challenge, when you are overruled, is to remember who the boss is and don't take it personally.”

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Author:Colin Powell