"When I was Chairman of the Joint..." - Quote by Colin Powell
When I was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would still have junior officers brief me. Usually these people knew more about the subject we were discussing than I did. I had to make sure that they felt confident enough to tell me everything they believed.
More by Colin Powell
“Decision-making is lonely.”
“Wouldn't it be great if we could look forward to a whole world in which no child will be left behind?”
“It isn’t enough just to scream at the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. We need our political system to start reflecting this anger back into, 'How do we fix it? How do we get the economy going again?'”
More on Leadership
“I don't want my generals or my defense secretary or my national-security team to ever feel deploying weapons to kill people as routine or abstract, even if the targets are bad people.”
“I don't care whether you're driving a hybrid or an SUV. If you're headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That's what the American people called for in November, and that's what we intend to deliver.”
“A victorious general must know how to employ severity, justness, and mildness by turns, if he would allay sedition or prevent it.”
More on Listening
“You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that. The others would walk off and leave me talking. Or threaten me. No one has time any more for anyone else. You're one of the few who put up with me. That's why I think it's so strange you're a fireman, it just doesn't seem right for you, somehow.”
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
“If you want to become a better listener, however you need to learn to direct that energy and attention positively by concentrating on the person you're with.”