Opening: leadership is action-oriented. Most of all, leaders have to solve problems.

In this session, we are going to focus on some of the “Powell Principles”.

“Leadership should promote a clash of ideas”.
What’s the point of having people working for you who can’t contribute their expertise. The leader needs to encourage a clash with the boss. When the time comes, the leader has to make the decision. Expects people to take it as run with it.

“What’s a ‘noisy system'”.
When faced with decisions, would bring in followers to argue with them. Wanted to hear their ideas and understand. They enjoy “telling the boss”.

“Plans don’t accomplish anything. Only people do.”
All work is done by the followers. The leader has to put the followers into the best place to get their work done. Rule in the Army: take only a third of the time to make plans, and give followers two-thirds to learn and do.

“If you have an issue, come see me.”
An open door approach, that allowed anyone with an issue to come and see him. Gives direct, honest feedback. Also wanted people from outside to have direct access and tell him the truth.

“Probe the organization”.
Encouraged subordinates to come and talk to him when they needed. But he also told his leaders that he would not take things at face value. Would take things back through the chain of command. Always wanted to hear information from anyone.

“Reward your best performers, and get rid of the worst ones”.
The latter part is the hardest job of a leader. The leader always needs to prune. When people perform badly and nothing is done, the good people lower their standards.

“Be prepared to disappoint people”.
Eg, at some point, the leader is going to say “we’re going to do this”

“Check your ego at the door”.
Don’t let your personality get so closely tied up with your professional views.

“Have fun along the way”.
Leaders need something to quieten their mind, and be able to get through to a solution. That’s quite different from normal leadership duties. That is, much of leadership does not yield to a quick analysis.

“Cast no stereotypes”.
I want to be evaluated on my performance, not on the color of my skin. But he knows that his career is a result of 300 years of black soldiers chipping away at the bureaucracy.

“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”.
In military, are always looking for a 2x or 5x multiplier. Another one is perpetual optimism … “We can solve this problem”.

“Things always look better in the morning”.
Always be optimistic about what you deliver tomorrow.

“Trust is key”.
People trust you more when you let them into your world. You shoW the vision and mission.

“Avoid war if at all possible”.
War is a failure of diplomacy and politics. It is the worst thing. Powell always wants to be a reluctant General — there is a huge price paid in blood. War is not a game; it’s a terrible time.

“Leadership on the battlefield gets hugely compressed”.
But you still have to go through the same process. You have to have a good mind to sort through things, and a sense of awareness about what can be possible or not. Need good instincts. “Does this make sense?”

“Be prepared to be lonely”.
Leadership can be very lonely, but you can make it less so with people. However, you the leader are still alone — you have to make the final decisions. Sometimes mentors are helpful, and give them a place to blow off.

Question to Colin from Bill: “What role does the church have to play in the world today?” Become aware of the key issues of the day, but don’t become politicised. But, the church has a huge role and mission to go out and help and save people.

Question 2: what do you want to be remembered for? Serving faithfully, doing my work well, and that he left a good family.