Leadership of Collin Powell - Essay Example

 Collin Powell is one of the most revered American leaders in the history of the US who served in various capacities since in the government. From his first career as a four star army commander to his leadership as United States of Secretary, Powell displayed skills of effective leadership in guiding those under him and in advising the government in sensitive matters. With his critical decision making skills and as an orator, he guided his armies with agility through a series of war and became an inspiration for many leaders today. In management today, effective leadership skills are crucial for business managers in organization and development of business strategies. Just like in the army, in business, the management team have to make sensitive decisions that have positive impacts on the business. In the contemporary business environment, decision making is surrounded by the complexities of the business market making it necessary for the management team to use critical thinking skills to overcome business challenges. For this reason, there are numerous management skills that leaders today can learn from the life of Powell. Powell started his career as a military soon after joining the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTP) while still in college education. Powell found this as the best decision he made as being in the military was not only his passion but also something that he was good at. In his training, Powell portrayed strong leadership skills even before his graduation. While in the drill team, he managed to win a drilling competition and the general awarded him with a pen set. When he completed his training, he was given a leadership position as an Army second Lieutenant, and it did not take long before he was awarded the position of a platoon leader. In this position, Powell was supposed to guide his troop in times of war. A keen look at the leadership of Powell, he was a leader inspired right from his childhood. He points out the success of a person lies in their ability to find they love to do and what they pretty good at. For one to be an effective leader, they should be in the line of their passion and should strive to specialize in this area. Contemporary management leaders should have an inspiration for excellence as they pursue these positions in management, and this is a passion that they have to nurture right from their early career life. In the army, started on a low tone amid challenges and worked hard to achieve be the best among his troop. He began a career amid challenges when his African American people were in segregation and were still in the struggle to acquire their freedom in America. To succeed in his career, he knew that he had to avoid being the wrong side of the law at a time when there were many segregation laws that barred his fellow people from exercising freedom. Once in his duty, one of his colleagues commended him as the “best African lieutenant” in the troop, signifying the superiority complex that thrived among the America race (LaFeber, 2009). However, despite these challenges, Powell intended to prove that he was the best army not only among the Africans but also among the entire group. When he was promoted to the level of a commander owing to his hard work in the army, he stood out as the best man in the army. Like many leaders who are successful today, Powell won his excellence through struggle and worked hard to achieve his goals amid challenges. As a commander, Powell learnt the value of learning from previous mistakes while preparing for the next battle. In his own opinion, he termed his operation in Vietnam as a show of ineffective leadership along his career. Finlayson (2004), in Powell biography, refer to the lessons that Powell learnt in his experience in the Vietnam War. In his first visit in Vietnam as an advisor, he trampled on punji stake and this shortened his visit in Vietnam due to the injury (LaFeber, 2009). Resultantly, he did not serve his purpose effectively in Vietnam, something he termed as a failure in his leadership. Learning from his mistake, he returned in Vietnam in 1968 determined to be maintain a cohesive relationship between America and Vietnam. In this trip, he won a medal for his bravery after he had successfully his own life and that of other commanders from a helicopter crash. Although this was a challenging moment, Powell dismissed it and said that “in war, these sort of horrible things happen” showing his appreciation of challenges and determination to move on. Powell was a man who learnt from his leadership mistakes and used this experience to succeed in future. In management, mistakes are inevitable and managers must prepare to learn from their mistakes. In ethical business decision making, a manager makes tough decisions that have consequences on the business. Young business leaders lack adequate skills that are essential in the business environment and this make them vulnerable to mistakes as they make decisions affecting their organizations. However, they have to make decisions in the best way possible and be ready to handle the outcome of their decision. Like Powell states “horrible things happen” it is crucial to prepare for the consequences of wrong management decisions (Greengard, 2008). More important is for young managers to learn from their mistakes as they make future decisions. The mistakes that one makes build their experience and learning from these mistakes makes one to prepare in a better way to handle more complex problems in future. Powell used the experience of his first visit to win and create harmony between Vietnam and America in a time of war. Similarly, managers should make decision based on their experienced and must avoid shying away from decision making for fear of making mistakes. Mistakes in leadership form a platform for better decision making in the future leadership in any environment. Throughout his leadership, Powell portrayed courage in every decision that he made as long as it was the right decision for his group and for his country. Harari (2002) echoes the words of Powell that “being responsible sometimes means pissing people off” to express the path that Powell used in his leadership. Powell recognized the fact that being a leader one has to make a decision that affects a big group of people who may have a varied approach to problems. Within a group, there will always be those who agree and those who disagree with the decision of their leader. In this light, a leader has to take the responsibility of making the right decision for his people and getting them along in the implementation of the problem. Powell terms the act of acting to be liked as “mediocrity” and appreciates the fact that there will always be people who will be angry no matter what decision you take. The words of Powell are relevant in the contemporary business environment. In management cadre, leaders have to make sensitive decisions that may not please some of the members of organization. The words of this leader point out the leaders are people who are placed at the responsibility of other and must make decisions that affect them. As long as their ideas are well thought and have predictable beneficial outcome, leaders should not hesitate to pick the courage of implementing them. In leading his people, Powell gave the people the liberty to implement the decisions in the best way possible. He felt that the only way to foster creativity is too give people the freedom to act, and provide them with an avenue to be show their expertise and skills. In any operation, Powell gave his army the freedom to use their knowledge and skills to come up with solutions and to implement his plans, while he took the initiative to monitor the details of their actions and provide a corrective action whenever they went wrong (Harari, 2002). This kind of approach is similar to the approach proposed by the behavioural theories of management. First, the management must set their employee free in the implementation plan. This empowers them to be leaders of themselves and gives them the right to optimize their input within the scope of the projects. Worker freedom provides them with the confidence to handle business operations and helps to be part and parcel of business projects. On the other hand, the management team should take the role of oversight by executing their function of monitoring project progress and ensuring that it is along the designed path. In the business environment, empowering the employees helps in aligning them with business goals and inspires their creativity in project implementation. In various major operations, Powell portrayed the value of having the right people along your plans in any decision. Waxman (2005) refers to the words of Powell in his autobiography that “only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds” in his reasoning on the need of team formation. Powell feels that organizing alone is not enough, but getting an effective team is necessary for implementation of plans. In his position as secretary of United States, Powell portrayed the need for forming the right team before pursuing any goal. When Bush proposed an attack in Iraq in an operation to find Saddam Hussein, Powell accepted on the ground that Bush would involve the UN and the international body in the operation. The reason why he proposed such a plan is because he wanted to avoid a unilateral approach that would portray America as country that has personal grudge with the Iraq government. In management, team formation is a crucial factor for business success. The human resource management must endeavour to recruit the right people for their organization and enhance cohesiveness in the work environment. Economy theorists propose that effective teams have a better output and are likely to optimize business profitability in the long run. Just like Powell states, managers must be able to acquire people with the right skills and right qualities when implementing their business plans. Finally, Powell finds value in establishing a close relationship with those under him. In his military career, Powell worked hard to manage the problems of those under him and measured his leadership on the scale of how his team found it easy to approach him in times of challenges. He states that the “day soldiers stop bringing to you their problems is the day you have stopped leading” to express the value of handling the problems of those below your command (Harari, 2002). As commander, he opened all channels of communication where he could discuss the problems emerging among his troops and provide strategies to solve them. In the business environment, the management team, including the chief executive officers, have a role to handle the problems of those under them. A healthy relationship between employees and their leaders motivates them to share their problems with the leaders and together design solutions to the problems. This can be achieved by creating an effective channel of communication and a show of concern in worker issues. From this angle, successful leadership can only be attained if leaders establish a healthy relationship with their employees. In conclusion, Powell was an exemplary leader who sailed through challenges and learnt from his failures to succeed in his operations. After pursuing a career inspired by his passion and capabilities, he managed to stand out as a strong African American leader despite the discrimination against blacks that existed at this time. Propelled by hard work, he received a series of promotion from a lieutenant to a commander and later to a secretary of the United States. Powell was easy to admit his failures but found greater value in learning from them and developing an experience to act in his next mission. He emphasized of creating right team, building teamwork and making bold decisions that do not necessarily please any person, but for the good of the community under him. He portrays the value of critical decision making skills in management and provides an approach to problem solving. Like Powell, managers must learn to develop effective teams, empower them and align them with the management decisions. References Edmond, A. r. (2002). The Powell Principles: to become a more effective leader, check out Colin Powell's secrets. (Words to Strive By). ('The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell'). Black Enterprise, (12). 102. Finlayson, R. (2004). Colin Powell. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Greengard, S. (2008). Lessons in Leadership. (Cover story). PM Network, 22(8), 58-63. Harari, O., (2002). The Leadership Secrets of Collin Powell. New York: Donnelley. LaFeber, W., (2009). The Rise and Fall of Colin Powell and the Powell Doctrine. Political Science Quarterly, 12, Pp. 71–93. Wallace, C., (2009). The Three-dimensional Leader: Negotiating Your Mission, Resources and Context. Tate Pub & Enterprises Llc. Waxman, L. H. (2005). Colin Powell. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co. Read More