Director's Message October 22, 2021

Gen. Powell helped shape American policy for decades, and although he’d be the first to acknowledge that he didn’t get every call right, his actions reflected what he believed was best for America and the people he served. I will always look to General Powell as an example of what America — and Americans — can and should be. If you want to be the greatest, be the one to serve others.

He was an example for me and many military officers of color. He never denied the role that race played in his own life and in our society more broadly, but he also refused to accept that race would limit his dreams, and through his steady and principled leadership, he helped pave the way for so many who would follow. 

He was an inspiration for me as I navigated my way through unchartered territories during my 30-year career in the Navy.

If you served in the military during the 1990s and early 2000s, I’ll bet that at some point, somebody introduced you to General Colin Powell’s 13 Effective Rules of Leadership.

Powell, who died Monday at age 84, had a compelling and complicated legacy: first Black officer to be a four-star general commanding troops, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and eventually Secretary of State during President George W. Bush’s first term.

For many, of course, his biggest legacy was the way he pushed inaccurate intelligence in support of the invasion of Iraq.

For others, however, he’s likely to be remembered as much for his often repeated 13 rules, as for his accomplishments and controversies. As I read through them upon learning of his death, I came to the realization that each rule succeeds because each is about separating actions from emotions, a key aspect of emotional intelligence.

Here are the 13 rules, which Powell first compiled for a magazine profile in 1989.

No. 1: It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

A wonderful rule to start with, since it encourages you to strip anxiety and fear from your decision-making. Even if a situation you have to deal with really does turn out to be bad, it’s best not to let fear of the facts lead to inaction before you even get started.

Rule No. 2: Get mad, and then get over it.

Anger is part of the normal range of human emotions. Better to feel it, acknowledge it, and let it go before it negatively affects your decision-making.

Rule No. 3: Don’t become so attached to an argument that if it fails, your ego goes with it.

This rule is important to keep in mind for yourself, but it’s also important to remember that it works (or doesn’t work) for others, too. In short, emotionally intelligent people will work to find ways for other people to save face during disputes, because that can make it a lot easier for them to agree with you when appropriate.

Rule No. 4: It can be done.

There’s a trap people fall into: Allowing negative emotions to lead them to a negative conclusion, and then crafting arguments to back up that conclusion. Instead, reverse those forces.

As Powell wrote: “Always start out believing you can get it done until facts and analysis pile up against it. Have a positive and enthusiastic approach.”

Rule No. 5: Be careful what you choose. You may get it.

Here’s another military saying you probably heard if you served during the past 30 years: “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” In short, if you take the time to think things through methodically, you make fewer mistakes in the long run, and wind up closer to your ultimate goals. “Nothing original in this one,” Powell later wrote. “Don’t rush into things.”

Rule No. 6: Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

This rule is about realizing that almost all important decisions have to be made without complete information; if you wait until there is complete information, you’ll likely wait until it’s too late to decide. Recognizing your humanity, and that you will make some mistakes, paradoxically can make this uncertainty more tolerable, and allow you to trust your informed instincts.

Rule No. 7: You can’t make someone else’s decisions. (And don’t let others make yours.)

I think it’s fairly easy to imagine this rule coming into play during negative circumstances, as when you’re being pressured to do something you don’t think is right. The harder test — and the time to remember this — is when arguably positive things are being dangled in front of you, but they don’t align with your goals and values.

Rule No. 8: Check small things.

Emotionally intelligent people adopt this practice for a very simple reason: To avoid letting their optimism, excitement, or sheer busyness lead them to assume things are working out.

Rule No. 9: Share credit.

There are two reasons to follow this rule: First, to manage your ego. And second, to keep yourself attuned to the fact that people are emotional beings, and it’s natural — if sometimes counterproductive — for them, like you, to be motivated by emotional needs as much as any other category of need. As Powell wrote: “People need recognition and a sense of worth as much as they need food and water.”

Rule No. 10: Remain calm and be kind.

Anxiety breeds anxiety; calm begets calm. This is also a good time to point out one of the key insights into emotional intelligence. It’s that while treating people well, developing empathy, and being kind to others are wonderful byproducts of emotional intelligence, the overall utility is more goal-oriented: to be aware of and leverage emotions so as to accomplish what needs to be done.

Rule No. 11: Have a vision.

Why is this so important? For your own sanity and effectiveness, of course, but also because people have a deeply felt emotional need for purpose. If you’re a leader, part of your job is to articulate a vision that is worthy of their efforts.

Rule No. 12: Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

Fear is natural and sometimes useful, but the point here is to acknowledge the fear and then try to remove the emotion from decision-making. Same thing with the people who say you can’t accomplish what you want to accomplish: If they have valid points, consider them, but don’t let their volume unduly influence you.

Rule No. 13: Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier

Finally, this is the rule that I think gets repeated most often in military circles. It’s also the most mythical in terms of emotional intelligence. In short, this isn’t just about believing that things can be done; it’s also about proclaiming that optimism to the people you lead, in both your words and your actions. Your optimism can become contagious, thus leading others to believe that things can be done, or the problem isn’t surmountable, or that fears need not be counseled.

Two books worthy of your interest is Powell’s autobiography, My American Journey and another which begins with his 13 Rules, It Worked for Me – In Life and Leadership. Both are easy reads which reflect character both Powell’s as a national military leader and a man.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Character is like a tree and reputation is like a shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”  Colin Powell was the real thing, an American Hero.

I share these with you so you too can be inspired by this man’s legacy as I have throughout my military and now my VA career serving others