General Colin Powell: United States Secretary of State 2001-2005

“America has greatness in every generation of her people.”

I think that Colin Powell was probably the man half the crowd came to see (about 60% left after he spoke late in the afternoon), and I have to admit that I was one of them! I am a huge fan! Someone from the audience shouted 2012! (referring to the presidential election and his widespread popularity as a potential candidate for the last presidential race) He simply shook his head and said he was enjoying retirement far too much for “any of that.” I found him charismatic, humourous, funny and self-deprecating, and refreshingly humble. One of the first things he said was how people are always commenting on the ‘greatness’ of the previous generations of Americans. However, he believes that America’s best and brightest strength, is that she didn’t have just one ‘great’ generation, that there is greatness in each and every generation that has called this nation home.

• “The process of transformation begins at home.”
  


• “No terrorist can change the freedom-loving nature of a democratic nation, only we can change that."
  


• The essential element of leadership is the ability to fire non-performers and bad followers. To look them in the eye and let them go.
  


• “It doesn’t matter where you start in life. It matters where you end up, and what you did along the way."

The secret to powerful leadership is validation…a connection with the individuals that make up every organization. It is the human connection that can make all the difference. People doing a good job deserved to be recognized. And the ‘good’ followers know who the ‘bad’ followers are. And they will watch you, how you deal with these undesirables, and base their respect of your leadership on those actions.

He shared some experiences of being in the top levels of the military as the iron curtain and bamboo curtain fell. Of a sit-down lunch he had with Mikail Gorbachev while under President Reagan. Apparently he was uncomfortable, and mistrustful throughout the meal. Finally Gorbachev shook his head, and chuckled a little, and said “General, General. I am so very sorry-but you’ll have to find a new enemy." General Powell also stated his opinion that China poses not threat to us militarily, they are doing far too well economically as our trading partner to want to rock the boat.

On this same theme he remarked, “It doesn’t frighten me that other countries are beginning to do ‘almost as well as we are,’ I love it when I see people coming up out of poverty!” To the cynics and worrywarts out there he called a time-out. “America will always be a magnet.” As for why that is, he referenced a recent interview with a multi-millionaire Japanese business man, who named New York as his favorite city in the world. On being questioned about why, this businessman simply laughed and said, “It is the only city in the world outside of Japan where people come up to me on the street and ask for directions.”