The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell By: Oren Harari

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The Leadership Secrets of Colin PowellBy Oren
Harari

• Brett Bryant

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History of Colin Powell

• Born April 5, 1937 in Harlem, New York
• Married in 1962 and has 3 children
• 1962 military advisor in Vietnam
• 1971 MBA from George Washington University
• 1987 National Security Advisor under Reagan
• 1989 Appointed as chairman of Joint Chiefs of
  Staff under President George H. W. Bush

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History contd

• Retired from military in 1993
• 1993-2000 Chairman of Americas Promise
  foundation
• 2001 sworn in unanimously by the U.S. Senate to
  be Secretary of State under President George W.
  Bush

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Leadership

• Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than
  the science of management says is possible.
• Major Points of Powell Leadership
• Promote a Clash of Ideas
• People Over Plans
• The Powell Way

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Promote A Clash of Ideas

• The day soldiers stop bringing you their
  problems is the day you have stopped leading
  them.
• Foster a noisy system
• Use every means to encourage communication, and
  never let rank or hierarchy get in the way.
• Use technology to improve communication.
• Treat turf wars as the enemy of communication.
• Maintain a real, no b.s. open-door policy.

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People Over Plans

• Plans dont accomplish work. Goal charts on
  walls dont accomplish workIt is people who get
  things done.
• Count on people more than plans or structures.
• Assume that people are competent, and that every
  job counts, until proven otherwise.
• Spend at least 50 of your time on people.

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People over plans contd

• View people as partners, regardless of their
  place in the hierarchy.
• Become a servant leader. Work for your people.

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The Powell Way

• The leader sets an example. Whether in the Army
  or in civilian life, the other people in the
  organization take their cue from the leader not
  from what the leader says, but what the leader
  does.
• Answers the question of How do you get people to
  accept you as leader?
• Dont be overreliant upon organizational charts
  or unduly impressed job titles.

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Powell Way contd

• Curiosity is key.
• Walk the talk.
• Always work on building your trust factor.
• Trait approach
• Competence, character, courage, loyalty,
  confidence, selflessness, sacrifice, and empathy.

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Theory Based Beliefs

• Contingent thinker
• Leader-Member Exchange Theory
• In-group reward the best employees and make
  heros out of them
• Out-group punish those who instigate negativity
  and subvert the ideal structure
• Transformational Leadership
• Vision, charisma, hero-making, empowerment,
  intellectual stimulation, integrity

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THE END !