Informative Essay on Colin Powell’s Leadership Principles
General (R) Colin Powell was the 65* United States Secretary of State. He served in the United States Army from 1958 through 1993. During his 35 year career he served two tours in Vietnam in 1963 and 1968 and a tour in Korea in 1973. Additionally he helped to coordinate the invasion of Grenada and the bombing of Libya. Gen. Powell was appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1989. He served as the secretary of state under President George W. Bush from 2000 to 2004 (Biography.com Editors, 2018. Both his military and his civilian careers will echo through history forever. The decisions that he made changed the course of US history and the lives of the men and woman who served under him. He left a legacy of 18 leadership principles to help to guide us through our careers and beyond.
The day they stop bringing you their problems is the day that you have stopped leading them. General Colin Powell`s second principle of leadership is "The day they stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them." This principle directly relates to trust. Soldiers who trust their leaders will feel comfortable enough to bring their problems to them. AR 600-100, Army Leadership (2017) states "The five essential characteristics of the Army Profession - trust, military expertise, honorable service, stewardship, and esprit de corps - are vital to the Army Culture." (paragraph 1-7) This trust is vital because Soldiers must be willing to execute a command from their superior, even if they don`t fully understand why. ADP 6-22, Army Leadership and Profession (2019) states:
People naturally accept the influence of people they trust. When high levels of trust exist among members of an organization, its members are more likely to influence each other up and down the chain of command and laterally with other organizations. Trust increases readiness and is essential for developing the shared understanding of intent that facilitates initiative by everyone within the organization. (paragraph 5-44)
