Colin Powell’s Rules of Leadership Applies to Being a Good Person and Athletics
I would like to discuss Colin Powell’s 13 rules of leadership. I feel like his rules of leadership could be applied to many different areas of life. You could use his rules in order to make yourself an overall better person, friend, or parent. These rules could teach people not only to be great leaders but also to be more conscientious of others in general which is why I believe these rules would be very applicable to being on an athletic team. Here are Colin Powell’s rules.
1. It ain’t as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning
2. 2. Get mad, then get over it
3. 3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls
your ego goes with it
4. 4. It can be done
5. 5. Be careful whom you choose
6. 6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision
7. 7. You can’t make someone else’s decision, you shouldn’t let someone else make yours
8. 8. Check small things
9. 9. Share credit
10. Remain calm, be kind
11. Have a vision, be demanding
12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers
13 13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier
Some of Colin Powell’s 13 rules of leadership could influence people to be better overall. This means they would be better friends to others and parents as well. I think all of the 13 rules could be applied to everyone’s daily life because it would influence positivity and optimism. You could look at these rules and almost believe that they came from a therapist or psychologist since they seem to promote a healthy, bright, and hopeful outlook. Some of the rules that I believe could be incorporated specifically into being a good friend or parent would be: “Remain calm, be kind”, “It ain’t as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning”, “Get mad, then get over it”, and “It can be done”. These are all good ideas to have in mind when considering relationships with others. Some of his rules that I believe are especially capable of making you an overall better person, even though I believe all of them can be practical, are: “Be careful whom you choose”, “Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision”, “Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers” and “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”. There rules would lead you to a happy confident person and would hopefully make you a better decision makers also.
I feel like Colin Powell’s rules would be perfect for athletic teams. If I were a coach I would make sure they knew the rules and would have them hanging somewhere they could see to remind them. I have played many sports in my past and these rules relate to all of them. Some that I believe would be particularly insightful for athletes would be “It ain’t as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning”. This is so true because if you have ever lost a big game you know how defeated and down you feel afterwards but it is usually better the next morning. This also goes along the lines of the rule that said “Get mad, then get over it”. This is true because you may be angry to lose but you need to strive to have good sportsmanship in the end. “It can be done” is just a positive statement that could give hope and encouragement. The rules saying “Share credit” is also important to being a good sport and a good team mate. Team work is very important in athletics since the majority of the time you are working on a team with others and not alone. “Remain calm, be kind” is a good reminded to be mindful of others even if they are on an opposing team, they are still people that deserve respect. Reminding athletes “Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers” is reassuring and can instill confidence in them. Lastly “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier” is a very positive rule that influences team members to be optimistic, hopeful and have a good outlook.
Colin Powell’s 13 rules of leadership are so thoughtful and inspiring them that they don’t just apply to leadership. These rules can apply to being a good person, friend or parent. They are also great mantras for athletic teams. These rules are very positive and uplifting. They remind you to be a good person that is considerate while also influencing you to treat others with kindness respect. These rules are extremely motivational and are functional and useful. Colin Powell did a remarkable job making this list of rules for leadership and everyone else.
References
Pennsylvania State University. (2013). Lesson 10: Transformational Leadership.
Retrieved from:
https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp13/psych485/001/content/10_lesson/11_page.html
Teamwork Photo by Teamwork01 | Photobucket. (n.d.). Photo and image hosting, free photogalleries, photo editing. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from http://media.photobucket.com/user/Teamwork01/media/teamwork.jpg.html?filters[term]=teamwork&filters[primary]=images&sort=1&o=104
COTY A CLAPP says
Thank you so much for the positive feedback you gave me on my post! I think that is awesome that you had the opportunity to see Colin Powell speak about this particular list in person. I knew who Colin Powell was technically, but I didn’t know about his ideology in general and how positive and motivational he is. I must say that I was very inspired by his rules and it definitely made me look at him in a much better light, not that he was in a bad light before. I just think that whoever would come up with these types of rules for leadership must be a very good and ethical person. I just think these rules exude optimism and being a good person in general which I really admire. I think I would be more into following politics if I felt the people that were in charge believed or incorporated these ideas into what they did. I totally agree with your point of view about how it is not necessarily all about motivating others. You do have to be willing to set a good precedence and lead by example. Some of the things on his list seem so simple but I feel like there are some people out there that do need to be told what to do and what is right and not wrong. Just like you said, you can’t make someone do anything, but you can give them information that will possibly lead them in a better direction. I feel like a lot of people just are not considerate to others. Maybe pointing out such positive ways to look at things, like “Share credit” or “Remain calm, be kind”, are things that some people where never taught. I wish all leaders had rules they followed that were as admirable and moral as these thirteen rules.
JOEL B BIRCH says
Coty,
Love this post! I was familiar with Colin Powell’s rules for leadership because I was fortunate enough to hear him speak in person a few years ago. Funny enough, he actually mentioned this list, though maybe not in the same order or detail. The point is, leadership can be related to the ability to motivate people. There are thousands of motivational quotes available out there but I like the fact that Mr. Powell directly correlates this list with leadership qualities.
Lets remember however, that leadership isn’t just about motivating people. Collin Powell did far more than spit out a few quotes to prove that he is a leader. Leadership is not about encouraging, pushing or cheering on; it’s about pointing others inward so they recognize that the ability to be motivated rests with them. If you are a parent, for instance, you know that it is virtually impossible to motivate your children to work hard at their studies. But you can lead by example. You can show someone, by example, that no matter how sick you might get or how difficult your circumstances might appear, you can passionately apply yourself to your own job and do your best. Pointing people inward to their ability to rise above any circumstance is what separates a leader and a follower.
Good post.