Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
COLIN POWELL My own experience is use the tools that are out there. Use the digital world. But never lose sight o...
COLIN POWELL I was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, went to public school, got out of public college, w...
COLIN POWELL I want everybody to be scared to death of us. I don't say that in a bellicose way. I say that in a w...
COLIN POWELL The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have...
COLIN POWELL Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vi...
COLIN POWELL We need to understand that we as citizens and as a government in any community throughout this count...
COLIN POWELL Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it...
COLIN POWELL Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your...
COLIN POWELL It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
COLIN POWELL Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.
COLIN POWELL Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard...
COLIN POWELL Either move or be moved.
COLIN POWELL Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field ...
COLIN POWELL 90% of my time is spent on 10% of the world.
COLIN POWELL Get mad, then get over it.
COLIN POWELL Experts often possess more data than judgment.
COLIN POWELL But you have to understand, American democracy is not like the system you have. We're not an ocean l...
COLIN POWELL Free speech is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word; and not just comforti...
COLIN POWELL Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
COLIN POWELL Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories o...
COLIN POWELL There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failu...
COLIN POWELL Giving back involves a certain amount of giving up.
COLIN POWELL We all hoped in 2001 that we could put in place an Afghan government under President Karzai that wou...
COLIN POWELL Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approac...
COLIN POWELL Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
COLIN POWELL A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
COLIN POWELL Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you hav...
COLIN POWELL The only bipartisanship you ever see is when they finally sign a bill and everybody says, 'Gee, ...
COLIN POWELL It's nice to say let's be bipartisan. But we're a partisan nation. We were raised as a p...
COLIN POWELL I think whether you're having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winni...
COLIN POWELL When you decide to get involved in a military operation in a place like Syria, you've got to be ...
COLIN POWELL But just as they did in Philadelphia when they were writing the constitution, sooner or later, you&#...
COLIN POWELL In other words, don't expect to always be great. Disappointments, failures and setbacks are a no...
COLIN POWELL If a leader doesn't convey passion and intensity then there will be no passion and intensity wit...
COLIN POWELL There are lots of countries that are having these kinds of internal civil wars in other parts of the...
COLIN POWELL Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress. We are clearing an area.' But y...
COLIN POWELL You can't just have slogans, you can't just have catchy phrases. You have to have an agenda....
COLIN POWELL Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.
COLIN POWELL Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it...
COLIN POWELL The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort.
COLIN POWELL The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an o...
COLIN POWELL Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, t...
COLIN POWELL You should see what our Founding Fathers used to say to each other and in the early part of our nati...
COLIN POWELL I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but th...
COLIN POWELL I don't think we handled the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad as well as we might have. But that...
COLIN POWELL Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.
COLIN POWELL Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.
COLIN POWELL Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.
COLIN POWELL I respect the fact that many denominations have different points of view with respect to gay marriag...
COLIN POWELL It isn't enough just to scream at the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. We need our political s...
COLIN POWELL Foe means enemy. Now, will we have differences of opinion with the Russians? Yes. Will they get mad ...
COLIN POWELL We got rid of a terrible dictator. We gave the Iraqi people an opportunity for a new life under a re...
COLIN POWELL The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They hav...
COLIN POWELL If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excel...
COLIN POWELL Many interviewers when they come to talk to me, think they're being progressive by not mentioning in...
COLIN POWELL Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigila...
COLIN POWELL They find all kinds of excuses, a thousand excuses -- 'There are spies on this team. We don't want t...
COLIN POWELL you can't find actual germs on them.
COLIN POWELL We must not walk away, ... We must not find ourselves here this coming November with the pressure re...
COLIN POWELL Last month President Bush announced a pledge of $200 million to jump-start the global fund -- a bold...
COLIN POWELL They were anticipating a different kind of immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad, it turned out...
COLIN POWELL When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I'll l...
COLIN POWELL The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise.
COLIN POWELL I think the Iranians are clearly determined to have a nuclear program. And we have to assume that wi...
COLIN POWELL does not seek dominion.
COLIN POWELL Where human rights and freedoms flourish, terrorists and tyrants do not thrive and conflict and chao...
COLIN POWELL advance America's foreign policy interests overseas - the backbone of our foreign affairs.
COLIN POWELL We'll certainly know tomorrow when NATO meets, but every indication I have now is that NATO is comin...
COLIN POWELL Everybody knows what [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein should be doing, and if he isn't doing it and ...
COLIN POWELL I don't know that there is much the United States can do except work with the international comm...
COLIN POWELL It's always sad when you see a fellow citizen who is alleged to have committed these crimes out in f...
COLIN POWELL We have had a mixed relationship with Syria over the years,
COLIN POWELL We also made it clear that if they begin reprocessing (nuclear material), it changes the entire poli...
COLIN POWELL received reports that he may be in contact with various individuals.
COLIN POWELL most candid and direct conversations about what we do that annoys the other.
COLIN POWELL The trucks and train cars are easily moved and are designed to evade detection by inspectors, ... In...
COLIN POWELL [Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he had read a summary of the New Yorker article and str...
COLIN POWELL We also had a good discussion on the role of the secretary-general and his representative in the pol...
COLIN POWELL I made the case to Gen. Franks and Secretary Rumsfeld before the president that I was not sure we ha...
COLIN POWELL How many other slips are there out there? It's not a slip, ... They knew they were there. Somebody k...
COLIN POWELL Though I continued to say it was an urgent problem, I don't think it was ever treated that way,
COLIN POWELL We will stand strong with our allies against those nations that pursue weapons of mass destruction,
COLIN POWELL Germany is one of our closest friends. And differences and difficulties will arise in any relationsh...
COLIN POWELL [The pictures] stunned every American, ... They showed acts that are despicable. The president has s...
COLIN POWELL I don't think it's racism, I think it's economic. But poverty disproportionately affects African-Ame...
COLIN POWELL I think we have do everything we can to show that we are functioning, that we can get through this p...
COLIN POWELL It's a tragic situation, ... The president is committed to doing everything he can to see that we ca...
COLIN POWELL In my conversations this afternoon with Arafat we discussed this in considerable detail, ... And he ...
COLIN POWELL Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can ...
COLIN POWELL The diplomatic track is alive and well, and I expect to see some developments along that track in th...
COLIN POWELL They're sanctioned up to the eyeballs and they don't have that much aid now, ... But I think we have...
COLIN POWELL Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach be...
COLIN POWELL They will not succeed, for we stand united in the global war against terrorism -- war that compels t...
COLIN POWELL Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see t...
COLIN POWELL The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be en...
COLIN POWELL Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it: Sp...
COLIN POWELL Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so just because you might not like w...
COLIN POWELL Have a vision. Be demanding.
COLIN POWELL I don't know where it's going to lead, ... But I think a new element of fragility and vulnerability ...
COLIN POWELL The suggestion he was kidnapped is wrong, and absurd,
COLIN POWELL Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around cor...
COLIN POWELL won't be standing by idly. We'll be watching, we'll be following it all, we'll be engaging... And we...
COLIN POWELL But he did enter airspace without permission and landed without permission, and for that we are very...
COLIN POWELL A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
COLIN POWELL We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as rec...
COLIN POWELL market dynamism has replaced dogmatism.
COLIN POWELL A strategic partner China is not, ... But neither is China our inevitable and implacable foe.
COLIN POWELL See, we answered your question here, but we're not answering all these other questions that, perhaps...
COLIN POWELL If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's a...
COLIN POWELL The Chinese have said they're (the crew) being protected, I don't know from what,
COLIN POWELL President Reagan fueled the spirit of America. His smile, his optimism, his total belief in the ulti...
COLIN POWELL I was taught to think about mission and people. Mission. What are you trying to accomplish? Don't do...
COLIN POWELL because of the human dimensions of this catastrophe.
COLIN POWELL We talked about sanctions, and we talked about how one gets through the process of eventually liftin...
COLIN POWELL This is very regrettable
COLIN POWELL It is a problem that must be dealt with,
COLIN POWELL We haven't yet publicly identified the organization we believe was responsible, but when you look at...
COLIN POWELL You made reference to the president ...
COLIN POWELL has made repeated covert attempts to acquire high-specification aluminum tubes from 11 different cou...
COLIN POWELL That's what happened, notwithstanding any cell phone reports to the contrary,
COLIN POWELL We are still supporting access to WTO, but I can say that if we have to go for a vote on normal trad...
COLIN POWELL If somebody tried to move the team in now, we would find ways to thwart that.
COLIN POWELL a serious impediment to the conduct of America's foreign policy.
COLIN POWELL One thing you should not be doing is passing any resolutions that could inflame the situation.
COLIN POWELL [He said he had] extensive discussions ... strong views, and I have conveyed them to the North Korea...
COLIN POWELL The United States presents a value system to the world that is based on democracy, based on economic...
COLIN POWELL very sober, chilling message.
COLIN POWELL We don't intend to attack North Korea, we don't have any hostile intent notwithstanding their claims...
COLIN POWELL [While] we are all anxious to see restraint ... We understand it's important to get the terror down ...
COLIN POWELL We have a humanitarian catastrophe and a security crisis, ... It was a moving experience.
COLIN POWELL but the one thing I can assure you of is that it will be held in trust for the Iraqi people, to bene...
COLIN POWELL We have a way out of this crisis. It's called the Mitchell plan,
COLIN POWELL I will always treasure the four years that I have spent with President Bush and with the wonderful m...
COLIN POWELL I think the president has made his position clear: He wants the incursion stopped. He has noted some...
COLIN POWELL is very anxious to meet with me so we can talk about next steps, how we move forward from this curre...
COLIN POWELL We don't want to see weapons in the Korean Peninsula.
COLIN POWELL My folks have come up with models that span 80 years, ... We will explore ideas with our friends in ...
COLIN POWELL But I think we have to be very careful in this instance because if in the exercise of that right of ...
COLIN POWELL only a struggle to defend values ... which we share with the West and the vast majority of Arabs.
COLIN POWELL Our commitment is firm, is unmistakable. We want to see a Palestinian state created, ... We've got t...
COLIN POWELL The intent of the Iraqi regime to keep from turning over all of its weapons of mass destruction, see...
COLIN POWELL (Bin Laden) speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership...
COLIN POWELL to act fully as secretary of state until the day that I do leave. I expect that will be a number of ...
COLIN POWELL is to comply...with the agreements that were made at the end of the Gulf War.
COLIN POWELL If the international community does not take immediate action, countless deaths and terrible tragedy...
COLIN POWELL With the assumption of that greater burden, the burden on our troops should go down, and we should s...
COLIN POWELL We are in constant discussion with our German friends about these nations that are pursuing these ki...
COLIN POWELL Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego...
COLIN POWELL Command is lonely.
COLIN POWELL This is the era in our hemisphere of democracy, not dictators. Constitutions, not coups.
COLIN POWELL Iraq was a unique case,
COLIN POWELL if your life is not better.
COLIN POWELL We must keep moving forward.
COLIN POWELL Every one of these bombings sets us back, ... terror cannot be allowed to prevail, to win.
COLIN POWELL War is war and there will be casualties,
COLIN POWELL (Hussein) means us no good. He means the region no good, ... We always consider him to be a potentia...
COLIN POWELL There is a disenchantment with the institutions of elected government. In too many countries, people...
COLIN POWELL there are no arms deal with Iran so far.
COLIN POWELL Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.
COLIN POWELL The Kashmir issue is essential to the relationship and can be resolved if all parties engage with a ...
COLIN POWELL The U.S. is taking action to meet environmental challenges, including global climate change, ... Sha...
COLIN POWELL wonderful opportunities and daunting challenges.
COLIN POWELL When we get reports back from Mr. Tenet and from Ambassador Burns and when we consult with a lot of ...
COLIN POWELL Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.
COLIN POWELL No one has any evidence to the contrary, ... should not jump to such hasty conclusions.
COLIN POWELL We knew there would be days when our anxieties would well up and we would be afraid to take the next...
COLIN POWELL It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
COLIN POWELL Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision
COLIN POWELL First, we're going to cut it off, then we're going to kill it
COLIN POWELL I try to be the same person I was yesterday.
COLIN POWELL Think hard about it: I'm running out of demons. I'm running out of villains. I'm down to Castro and ...
COLIN POWELL All the options you can imagine are before us.
COLIN POWELL No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.
COLIN POWELL You don't know what you can get away with until you try.
COLIN POWELL If you get the dirty end of the stick, sharpen it and turn it into a useful tool
COLIN POWELL Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.
COLIN POWELL We have had serious disagreement in recent months, ... I am not going to paper over it and pretend i...
COLIN POWELL Remain calm. Be kind.
COLIN POWELL If he feels it is that important an assertion to make, he ought to list some names,
COLIN POWELL I am pleased to hear that decrees have now been issued that should have been issued years and years ...
COLIN POWELL Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.
COLIN POWELL What you're seeing with Occupy Wall Street and the others are people who are unhappy and they...
COLIN POWELL The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Any time you tolerate...
COLIN POWELL The plan that is out there -- A, B and C -- is the Mitchell report, ... It calls for a cessation of ...
COLIN POWELL You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people. You will own all their hopes, aspirations ...
COLIN POWELL We will be with you in this current crisis and in the future,
COLIN POWELL We want that. But we can't do it in a hurried manner before the Iraqis are prepared to discharge tho...
COLIN POWELL Now, if the sources fell apart, then we need to find out how we've gotten ourselves in that position...
COLIN POWELL We know that there are occasions that arise when terrorists are coming in, and we know a bomb is hea...
COLIN POWELL there was reason for guarded optimism. And let us be clear about what brought it all to a halt -- te...
COLIN POWELL There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfe...
COLIN POWELL I for one am not going to apologize that somehow we took Saddam Hussein out and we're putting in a d...
COLIN POWELL It was the Congress that imposed 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' it was certainly my positi...
COLIN POWELL seeing some convergence of views.
COLIN POWELL Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.
COLIN POWELL The United States is not stingy. We are the greatest contributor to international relief efforts in ...
COLIN POWELL the level of a mammoth new campaign.
COLIN POWELL We wanted it to be a special program of the State Department. Randy worked for me.
COLIN POWELL Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earne...
COLIN POWELL