IT WORKED FOR HIM

I recently finished the latest book on Colin Powell "It Worked for Me." Its a wonderful summary of the General's life and his lessons on leadership and anecdotes during his life.

The begins with his 13 rules for leadership.  Some of my favorites are: "It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." A great reminder not to act too quickly. A good nights sleep takes the edge off of many problems. Another is "It can be done!" This statement reminds us that you can do it and don't surround yourself with instant skeptics. Another is "Share the credit." People on the team need recognition and feel a sense of worth as much as food and water. Remember, share the credit, take the blame. The other ten rules are gems. Good life lessons taken from a very full, exciting life.

The rest of the book is broken down into parts. The second part covers "Know Yourself, Be Yourself." It includes a reminder to "Always do your best, someone is watching." A great lesson in self discipline.  The third part is "Take Care of Your Troops." He includes one of his best phrases "The Guys in the Field Are Right and the Staff Is Wrong."

The fifth part covers "Gettting to 150 Percent." The chapters in this section outline his climb to the top with some strict policies that were lived by him and his staff. One good chapter "Time to get off the train." The piece describes the relentless effort to do a good job right up until the time you are told to leave.

The final part "Reflections" is a series of chapters that tell a variety of stories about some of the larger tasks he tackled in his life.

All in all, its a great book. I would highly recommend it. Its very concise and would make a wonderful addition to anyone's leadership book library.