American soldiers must know the reason for their sacrifices. Our GIs are not vassals or mercenaries. They are the nation’s sons and daughters. We put their lives at risk only for worthy objectives. If the duty of the soldier is to risk his life, the responsibility of his leaders is not to spend that life in vain.

— Colin Powell

Colin Powell Quotes

Officers have been trying for hundreds of years to outsmart soldiers and have still not learned that it cannot be done. We can always count on the native ingenuity of the American GI to save us from ourselves, and to win wars.

— Colin Powell

Tell them what you know. Tell them what you don’t know. And only then, tell them what you think. And be sure you distinguish among them.

— Colin Powell

You are the leader and the troops will reflect your emotions.

— Colin Powell

I get over it quickly and never lose control of myself.

— Colin Powell

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.

— Colin Powell

Whenever you place the cause of one of your actions outside yourself, it’s an excuse and not a reason.

— Colin Powell

You know what? You just suck it up and get started again. It’s a new day in which to excel.

— Colin Powell

There are times when American lives must be risked and lost. Foreign policy cannot be paralyzed by the prospect of casualties. But lives must not be risked until we can face a parent or a spouse or a child with a clear answer to the question of why a member of that family had to die. To provide a “symbol” or a “presence” is not good enough.

— Colin Powell

American soldiers must know the reason for their sacrifices. Our GIs are not vassals or mercenaries. They are the nation’s sons and daughters. We put their lives at risk only for worthy objectives. If the duty of the soldier is to risk his life, the responsibility of his leaders is not to spend that life in vain.

— Colin Powell

If you take the pay, earn it. Always do your very best. Even when no one else is looking, you always are. Don’t disappoint yourself.

— 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, pick ’em up, dust ’em off, pat ’em on the back, and move ’em on.

— Colin Powell

With vision only, you get no follow-through. With enforcers only, the vision is realized but leaves a lot of wreckage. Good chaplains pick up the pieces and put everything together again.

— Colin Powell

People need recognition and a sense of worth as much as they need food and water.

— Colin Powell

When things go badly, it is your fault, not theirs. You are responsible. Analyze how it happened, make the necessary fixes, and move on. No mass punishment or floggings. Fire people if you need to, train harder, insist on a higher level of performance, give halftime rants if that shakes a group up. But never forget that failure is your responsibility.

— 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.

— Colin Powell

Let me know about a problem as soon as you know about it.

— Colin Powell

The most influential people in my life will never show up on a Google search.

— Colin Powell

You can leave behind you a good reputation. But the only thing of momentous value we leave behind is the next generation, our kids – all our kids. We all need to work together to give them the gift of a good start in life.

— Colin Powell

I’ve learned a simple and obvious truth from my own education experience: We have to give every kid in America the access to public education that I received. We need to place public education at the top of our priorities and the center of our national.

— Colin Powell

Humans are not by nature solitary. They need to connect with other human beings to share dreams and fears, to lean on each other, to enhance each other.

— Colin Powell
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