I always thought Colin Powell would have made a great president. He was a great leader. He passed in October 2021, although fully vaccinated, from complications cased by COVID-19.

This from The Resourceful Manager:

It’s said that even the best battle plans go out the window the moment the shooting starts.

That’s how unpredictable and disruptive war really is.

It also explains, in large measure, why Colin Powell grew to be an excellent example of Situational leadership.

He remains one of America’s most admired figures, a man whose prestige transcended party lines and political ideology.

The situational leader holds to no single style, but adapts as needed, as the situation requires.

This was particularly crucial to Powell’s extraordinary career. As he rose through the ranks, this Harlem-born general-to-be needed to adapt to military bureaucracy and political reality.

Before long he found himself working side-by-side with presidents, dating back to Richard Nixon’s second term. That required a whole different set of leadership skills and principles.

In his book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, Powell takes the reader through a series of work-life realities. For instance, not everyone gets promoted, he says, because there simply isn’t that many slots at the top. And for those who chose to work nonstop long hours, those he affectionately calls “busy bastards,” they need to prioritize better and get some rest.

He is also fond of saying that “With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.” In other words, if you flock with eagles, you’ll learn to fly high.

***** S&E *****