10/18/2021
from..Colin Powell's "18 Principle's of Leadership":
"Lesson 1:
'Being responsible sometimes means pi***ng people off.' Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It’s inevitable — if you’re honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity. You’ll avoid the tough decisions, you’ll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you’ll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally “nicely” regardless of their contributions, you’ll simply ensure that the only people you’ll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization."
I've always been fascinated with what makes exceptional leaders exceptional..so much so that I started pursuing a career in leadership training almost 26 years ago. General Powell has always been near the top of my list of great leaders because to me, he always demonstrated integrity, honor and a love of our country. I've consistently referred to his "18 Principles of Leadership" when I present leadership training to companies, educational institutions and government entities. When I first read it back in the '90s, I was drawn to how he used military jargon to describe the traits of exceptional leaders (having two brothers who also served may have swayed me in that direction), and how these principles are also applicable in the business world. Another key leadership trait General Powell exemplified in my eyes - the constant need for "balance" in leadership (e.g. combining facts + gut feel in decision-making, being firm, yet fair). When you read principle #18 after having read principle #1 (the "bookends", as I like to call them), you see that:
"Lesson 18
'Command is lonely.' Harry Truman was right. Whether you’re a CEO or the temporary head of a project team, the buck stops here. You can encourage participative management and bottom-up employee involvement but ultimately, the essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous choices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. I’ve seen too many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create an informal, open, collaborative, corporate culture, prepare to be lonely."
Being a strong and effective leader is tough, and it takes someone who's tough-minded and who's willing to accept all the challenges and face all the criticism that comes with the job. RIP General Powell..and thank you for your incredible life of service.
Ray Santerini, Aim High Empowerment Training, LLC
