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Colin Powell is arguably one of the greatest leaders in American history. The man serves his country in many countless ways. Despite being a black, second generation immigrant born in Harlem, New York, in 1937, Powell rose to the rank of four star general in the United States Army. He also served as the National Security Advisor for Reagan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for H.W. Bush and Clinton, and served as the Secretary of State for W. Bush. Colin Powell becomes a leader wherever and whenever he needs to be. His leadership qualities and style match up with The Hersey – Blanchard Situational Leadership Model. He became a leader because it was natural to him and he loved it. In college he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training …show more content…
Corps, also known as ROTC and immediately fell in love with it. Leadership is not something anyone can just do. That person has to have a feel for it. They have to understand it. And it is safe to say that Colin Powell definitely has a feel for leadership and he definitely understands it. The Blanchard Situational Leadership style is made up of three components that Powell illustrates. These three components are: directing, coaching, and supporting. Directing involves giving tasks and supervising closely. Which is what he did throughout his military career. Coaching is a component that shows more in high stakes situations. Situations such as Powell being on the battlefield and having bullets fly by his head. Coaching is focused on communicating and having the ability to receive feedback and ideas from the team. This is very similar to the supporting component of Powell’s leadership. Powell’s style of leadership is focused largely on support and motivation. He asks for criticism and feedback. He wants to know how his people feel about him and the choices he is making. He uses the feedback and criticism that they give him as a way to make himself and the people around him better. Although Powell has the final say in his decisions, he at least allows his people to put in their two cents, before making them. Powell is an empowering man. He empowers his people make decisions. "You make clear what you're trying to accomplish; you make clear the mission; you get the resources needed for that mission; and you take care of the people, since they are the ones who must accomplish the mission. You do everything you can to empower them to get the job done” (Harris 6). He is not just a military man that throws orders out and expects everything to be done exactly how he wants it done and no other way. Powell cares about his people. He wants to create future leaders, not right now followers. Powell found his passion for leadership, in college, when he joined the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps.
He was commander of his company and received the rank of cadet colonel. When Powell graduated he was named second lieutenant and went on to basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia. Then, after basic training, he went to West Germany, where he served as a platoon leader in the Forty Eighth Infantry. In 1962, Powell was sent to Vietnam, where he served as a military adviser. Powell was quickly rising through the ranks and he showed no sign of slowing down. In 1963, Powell was back at Fort Benning, but this time as an instructor in the Infantry School. Three short years later, he got a promotion to major. Two years after that, in 1968, Powell was sent back to Vietnam. During this tour, Powell received a Purple Heart and a Soldier’s Medal for heroism, for saving several soldiers from a burning helicopter that had been shot down in battle. Upon returning to the United States, in 1970, Powell was promoted again, this time to lieutenant colonel. “By the early 1980s, his record had attracted invitations to serve in several important positions in Washington” The United States government loved Colin Powell and everything he was …show more content…
doing. When Powell retired from the military, he immediately stepped onto another battlefield, Washington D.C. In January of 2001, started his job as Secretary of State. The first thing Powell said to the crowd of employees waiting to welcome and greet him was “I am not coming in just to be the foreign policy adviser to the president. I’m coming in as the leader of this department”. Powell did not come to just to do a job. And he easily could have. He could have just came in, acted like the celebrity he was, welcomed the praises from his new employees, did his job, and not cared about anyone underneath him. But Powell, like all great leaders, wanted to do more than was required of him. He wanted to not only help the president with foreign policy issues, he wanted to help everyone with just about anything. Powell, coming from a life in the military, learned to care about everyone in his unit. You are only as strong as your weakest player, is exactly the stance Powell took when he started working at the state department. He said that he hoped a culture would emerge out of all he was doing. Harris says that Powell was “seeking evolution through tangible, manageable steps, and hoped his reforms ultimately would improve the department’s execution of foreign policy”. Powell understood that for him to do his job well, the whole department had to do well. He discovered that many career officials, in his department, had little management or leadership training. Now Foreign Service officers must take at least six weeks of management and leadership training. In 2003, Powell’s department won the federal interagency softball championship, they were also recognized for having the best cafeteria facility. Powell’s response to this was “These are all little things. No one of them means much. But when you pile them up, it generates a change of attitude. People start saying ‘We’re proud to be a part of this team, and we will take our performance to a higher level.’” The little things matter. Powell helped instill that mindset into the state department and hopefully into the lives of the people he worked with. Colin Powell is one of the most respected and loved leaders in American history.
His leadership exerts three components, directing, coaching and supporting, that match him up with the style of leadership known as the Blanchard Situational Leadership style. This type of leader can adjust their leadership to fit the needs of their followers. Powell is the best example of a situational leader. He knows how to lead men in battle and he knows how to lead an office in paperwork. Powell began his leadership career when he joined the ROTC, in college. Over time, Powell continued to get promotions and eventually was promoted to four star general, the highest position in the United States Army. He was the first African American to do this. Once he was done with the military, Powell took to life as a civilian, in the government. He worked many government jobs before taking the job as secretary of state for President George W. Bush. Powell immediately began to lead his new unit and had no trouble doing so. The man is a leader through and
through.
General Colin Powell did the Commencement speech at Howard University on May 25, 1994. He did the speech after a cloud of controversy had happen at the university. A racist Black Muslim made a speech at Howard University. Howard policy is that anybody can express his or her freedom of speech on there campus. As you can figure out, the white community did not think of that very well. Connie Chung did a report saying that Howard University was a racist institution. All of this pressure was coming down at once. Howard said that they did not agree with the Black Muslims beliefs but will let them speak and express their opinions.
“Climb on one’s back and stand on their shoulders to reach the top” this is what the Coronel Colin Powell hints to recent graduating students from the Howard University in 1994. The Commencement Speech was long enough to motivate the graduating students. In addition, it was proper and formal. When the speech began, Powell was excited by ending on sharing his own experiences and giving great advices for those future professionals. Powell´s Commencement Speech demonstrates his interest by sharing his thoughts, and its language was uplifting and captivating. (502).
Throughout 2016, many different people will claim they can lead America to greatness again just as they do each election year. This directs attention towards leadership, and most Americans simply trust that these potential candidates display leadership characteristics. Unfortunately, politicians don’t always exemplify leadership, and many Americans experience poor leaders daily such as dreadful bosses. Because of these commonplace experiences, leadership may not appear as a direct character trait. Adaptable communication, the ability to inspire, a clear passion, and professional attitudes all characterize a true leader.
Powell majored in Engendering. He finished college in 1958 (source 1 pages 32, 36). While in college Powell joined the Recruit Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Powell said he joined ROTC because of the discipline and "The sense of comradery among a group of young men who were similarly motivated. Maybe it was the uniform." Another reason he said he joined is because of the association with the military [source 2 (interview page 1) (biography page 1)]. While Powell was in ROTC, he was in the Pershing Rifles. The Pershing Rifles showed that a cadet was more serious about ROTC than a regular cadet. The Pershing Rifles had to stay in ROTC their whole college career. They were distinguished through a yellow wrap worn on their right shoulder (source 1, page 40). In 1987 Powell was the Nation Security Advisor to Ronald Regan. Two years later in 1989 he became the first black officer and the youngest officer to hold the nation's highest military office, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Many people possess leadership qualities although they don’t rule a country. Meriwether Lewis, the official leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been called “undoubtedly the greatest pathfinder this country has ever known.” Just like Hazel, Meriwether Lewis led a group of followers into unknown territory. The two guides faced many difficult situations that they were able to overcome since they had the qualities of a notable leader. Both of the journeys were rough, but because of the brave leaders both expeditions were successful.
Powell's next overseas assignment was in South Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. He then studied at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, finishing second in a class of more than twelve hundred officers. During a second tour in Vietnam he received the Soldier's Medal for pulling several men from a burning helicopter.
Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, is not one of the most well-known presidents to have ever served in office though he did do some good things during his presidency. The vice president’s journey to the presidency began after the assassination of the beloved president, John F. Kennedy. Before serving as president, he was the youngest Senator to ever serve as a majority leader and he sat in the House of Representatives. Although Johnson served two terms as president, he only ran in one election because of the death of Kennedy. However, the one election he ran in, he won in by a landslide (Ridings & Melver 231). Lyndon B Johnson, the Democratic president, who served from 1963-1969, might have been infamous for the decisions he made during the Vietnam War, but his Great Society and Civil Rights Act helped shape the nation in a good way.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the United States. Since its creation in 1789, 112 justices have served on the Court. Of these 112 justices, four of them are women. President Ronald Reagan appointed the first female justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, in 1981; she served for 25 years. Sandra Day O’Connor changed the face of women in politics. Men dominated the Supreme Court yet Sandra Day O’Connor made strides in feminist politics and women's rights by breaking the glass ceiling in the legal profession. She offered an unbiased point of view on many topics including abortion rights, the death penalty, and affirmative action.
Kennedy’s New Frontier Program As the President elect of the United States in 1960, John F. Kennedy aspired, to accomplish much during his presidency. Kennedy confidently called his initiatives “The New Frontier” taking on numerous major challenges. Some of the challenges were boosting the United States economy by ending a recession and promoting growth in the economy, aiding third world countries by establishing the Peace Corps sending men and women overseas to assist developing countries in meeting their own necessities. Additional challenges were too built-up the United States National Defense and furthered the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) programs.
“A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires others with confidence in themselves” (unknown). Black Hawk’s actions throughout his life time proved his ability to be a great leader. He involved himself in many great feats that would attract many followers to him for instance, becoming a warrior at the early age of fifteen and beyond that being successful in heading up many other attack expeditions at a very young age. Playing a large role in two major wars also helped Black Hawk to become a leader.
John Jay was born in New York City on December 12, 1745 and was a self devoted leader that help the United States get to where it is today. He served a very important role in the Founding Fathers establishment as well as bringing overall greatness to the country. He devoted himself to the American Revolution as well as becoming the first Chief Justice of the United States. Serving in the Continental Congress, and becoming president of the congress gave him great power and confidence within himself.
Hank Williams was arguably the most influential country music star of all time. Though his life of fame was short-lived, his legend continues to live among millions of fans. Hank was the first legendary country music singer, and he was an innovator of his time. Hank helped country music spread from the rural south to other parts of the nation. Hank was launched to fame with many songs such as “Your Cheatin Heart,” “Jambalaya,” and “Cold, Cold Heart.” The legacy of Hank Williams continues to influence country music fans worldwide.
A leader can be defined as one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers. General George Washington was conceivably the one indispensable man among the Founding Fathers. He was the only one out of many others to command the respect needed to lead the Continental Army to victory over Great Britain and to preside over the Constitutional Convention. During the eight years Revolutionary War from 1775-1783 with Great Britain and America soldiers, General George Washington has proven to be a formidable leader and this made him recognizable later as a presidential selection. John C. Maxwell, the author of Communication Lessons From America’s Founding Father, draws attention to General Washington strong qualities of being a
Barack Obama leadership styles help for the success of the country and also the world.
Some people were born to be great leaders and some were born to be great learners. I ask myself this question, “How was I created?” Was I born a leader or was I molded to lead. As I explain my philosophy on how I want to lead, I will first dive into my past to recognize and pin point my creator. October 27th 2004 I raise my right hand in order to serve and protect the United State against all enemies, foreign and domestic. At this moment in my young personal leadership journey, I get my first glimpse of a leadership style, “shut up and listen.”