The Leadership Coaching Blog

I found this piece on a site while surfing - I think it’s from a Success magazine interview with Colin Powell at the end of 2005.  Powell’s 12 Leadership tips are taken from the article “Leadership – From the battlefields to the boardroom: Colin powell explains how to be a leader worth following.”  It makes interesting reading.

1. Never be afraid to make people mad -  Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group.  Some decisions you make may upset certain individuals; this is inevitable. Trying to be nice to everybody will only invite mediocrity and compromise your goals as leader.
2. The day the soldiers stop bringing their problems is the day you have stopped leading them - Make yourself accessible and available.  Too often, asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness, which leads to cover-ups and poor performance.  Show your concern for the people below you.
3. Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites - Always question what the experts say if you don’t understand.  Don’t assume that they know more than you, and certainly don’t be cowed into accepting something that you don’t fully understand.
4. Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard - Learn from the pros; seek them out as mentors and partners.   But if you don’t agree with what they’re saying, let them know.  Reputations shouldn’t be a hindrance to progress.
5. Never neglect the details. When everyone’s mind is distracted, the leader must be doubly vigilant.   All the ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can’t be implemented rapidly and efficiently.  Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to
   the details every day.
6. You don’t know what you can get away with until you try - Don’t wait for permission—just get things done.  If you ask too many people, one of them will say no. So don’t ask.
7. Keep looking below surface appearances - Don’t assume that today’s realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, linear, and predictable fashion.  Take steps to solve problems as—or, if possible, before—they emerge.
8. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds - Surround yourself with the brightest and the best. It will make the difference between organization and  achievement.
9. Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it - Change is stifled by people who cling to their turf.  Effective leaders create a climate where people’s worth is determined by their willingness to learn new skills and new  responsibilities.
10. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier - Leaders who cast blame or whine engender those same behaviours among their staff.  Have an attitude that says, ‘We can change things here, we can achieve our goals, we can be the best.’
11. Have fun in your command. Take leave when you’ve earned it.  Spend time with your family - Finding the right balance is essential; a happy home life means greater productivity in the workplace.
12. Command is lonely - The buck stops here.  The essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough decisions.  Prepare to be lonely.

Tags: achieve goals, delegate, empower, essence of leadership, good leadership, leader, leader attitude, leaders, Leadership, leadership tips, leading, position, success, vision

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 6:13 pm and is filed under Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.