What Thinking Hat Are You Wearing? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Have you ever considered wearing different colored hats to solve your problem?

Hear is evidence that this works.

Norwegian energy company, Statoil (now Norsk Hydro) “had a problem with an oil rig that was costing his company about $100,000 a day. A certified trainer, Jens Arup, introduced the Six Hats Method and within 12 minutes the problem was solved-and the $100,000 per day expenditure was reduced to nil.”

 In law cases “the jury took more than 3 hours to reach a decision. In the second case, one juror introduced the Six Hats Method. A decision was reached in fifteen minutes.”

Siemens, one of the largest corporations in Europe, has 312,000 employees in 2024 and revenue of €75.9 billion. (U.S. $79,180,018,500.00.)

Siemens “has found De Bono’s 6 Hat Method so successful that they have 37 internal trainers.” 

 IBM told De Bono “that the six hats method had reduced meeting times to one quarter of what they had been.”

What is this “6 Hats Method” that is helping companies and organizations streamline their decision-making process?

The facilitator of the session begins with using a particular hat for a certain type of thinking.” *Starting with wearing the “The blue Hat” the facilitator: (To begin and end the session like book ends. Overview.) “Control of thinking.”

De Bono says, “The blue hat is like a conductor of the orchestra. The conductor gets the best out of the orchestra by seeking that what should be done is done at the right time. Organization of thinking and process control. The purpose of thinking and what is to be achieved. The blue hat sets the strategy, keeps the discipline, keeps to the relevant hat and announces a change of hats.” (Edward De Bono’s "Six Thinking Hats”, 1985)

*Blue hat thinking: “Why we are we here? What are we thinking about?  Define the situation or problem, alternative definitions, what we want to achieve, where we want to end up, the background of the thinking, and a plan for the sequence of hats to be used. Blue sky above.”

* The White Hat:  Think of Facts, information. Focused question. Each person has one minute to give their thoughts.

*The Red Hat: “Think of Fire, warmth”. (Feelings, emotion, intuition.) each person has one minute to “express their feelings". “For example: the group is deciding if this person is the right one for the job.” Each person, wearing the red hat, is allowed to say this is how I feel about hiring J…….

*The Black Hat: Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.)  “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…” What could go wrong? 

 *The Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)

*The Green Hat “Energy, creativity, new ideas. Think of vegetation, growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)

*Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we achieved? What is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next steps?”

Dr. De Bono says, “The biggest enemy of thinking is complexity, for that leads to confusion. When thinking is clear and simple it becomes enjoyable and more effective.” (Edward De Bono’s "Six Thinking Hats”, 1985, p.172)

 Example:

Facilitator wears Blue Hat: What are we thinking about today? 

Should we promote Langston as our new customer service banker/leadership trainee?

Fred Smith: “A leader’s first question should be: “Will this person help the organization to fulfill the mission?” Is he/she competent, experienced, knowledgeable, and a leader?

(Each team member has one minute to speak.)

Let’s put on our White Hats and ask each of our committee to give us facts about Langston's education and work record, his performance reviews every 6 months, and his connecting to his customers. Each member will have one minute. Each of the group has done their homework on Langston.

Team member 1: Langston graduated high school at the top of his class and began at the bank as a Teller. He was eager to learn and take the training as a Teller and enjoyed interacting with his customers. He has worked as a Teller for three years and is a loyal, honest, and trustworthy employee.  His 6-month reviews were very good.

Team member 2: He immediately enrolled at night, after work hours, at an on-line accredited college to earn his Bachelors in Finance degree. He is currently completing his third year of College with top grades. I have seen his academic records.

Team member 3: He also works well helping to train new Tellers and he enjoys helping his customers. He smiles, he is courteous, and polite. His co- workers and customers like and trust him.

Facilitator: Let us put on our The Red Hat: “(Feelings, emotion, intuition.) “

Would Langston be a good fit to be our new Customer Service Representative? Your feelings on this. (Team member has one minute.) 

Team member 1: I feel that Langston would be an excellent Customer Services Representative. 

 Team Member 2: I agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.

 Team member 3: I also agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.

Would it be possible for him to continue working with new Tellers once a week? He is such an excellent trainer and teacher.

Facilitator let’s put our Black Hats on. *Black hat thinking: (Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.)   “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…”

Do any of our Team Members have any negative things to say about Langston?

Each team member said No.

Facilitator says let’s put on our Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)

 Team Member 1: Langston is an optimistic, bright leader. He builds people up and helps them to be their best self.

  He is a credit to this Bank.

Team Member 2: He is a people person and connects with them.

Team Member 3:  He helps others and cares about them. He is a ray of hope in a storm.

 He works with others well and is a good team member. When there is a problem he is there to lend his support with positive clear insight as he is always thinking, and learning to be better at the work he is doing for the Bank.

Facilitator let’s put on our Green Hat: “Energy, creativity, new ideas.” “Think of growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)

Team Member 1: Langston creates a positive energy with his co-workers by encouraging and motivating them. He has a good relationship with his customers, knows them by name, asks about their family members and they like him and trust him. He is a connector.

Team Member 2: He creates order and stability as a Teller. 

Team Member 3: When there is a problem, Langston thinks clearly to find a solution and comes up with new creative ideas at our bank.

Facilitator let’s put on our Blue Hat for our conclusions. Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we have achieved, what is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next step.”

All team members agree Langston will be promoted to Customer Service Representative and he will continue to train new Tellers once a week for one hour. Langston will begin his training as a Customer Service Representative next Monday.

For the next 10 days, which of the Six Hats will you wear and use in combination to solve your problems? 

Let me know which hats you have used and if it helped your organization reach a decision faster!



Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold.  Contact Madeline Frank for your next live or zoom speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

 

Everyone Needs Encouragement by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

 

Every person in life needs positive encouragement to motivate and inspire them for success. Dr. George Adams says, “Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.”

 

 Dr. John C. Maxwell, the number 1 leadership expert in the world says, “When I’m interacting with people one -on-one, I try to practice the thirty -second rule, which I wrote about in my book “25 Ways to Win with People”. Within thirty seconds of a conversation, I try to say something encouraging to the person I’m interacting with.”

 

He continues, “When my daughter Elizabeth was a youngster she once told me, “Dad I love the way you look people in the eye and say something positive about them when you meet them,”

 

He said, “that made my heart smile.”

 

George W. Crane, medical doctor, psychologist, professor, and author taught in Chicago in the 1920’s at North Western University. When he began teaching students in his evening classes, he found that his adult students were older working in businesses, stores, factories, and offices during the day. Each of them desired to improve their education at night. Some of his students told him they felt isolated and shy. He designed his first assignment to help his students connect with others.

 

Dr. Crane said to his class, “You are to use your psychology every day either at home or work on the streetcars and buses. For the first month, your written assignment will be the Compliment Club. Every day you are to pay an honest compliment to each of three different persons… for 30 consecutive days.”

 

Dr. Crane said, “At the end of the 30-day experiment, I want you to write a theme or paper on your experiences. Include the changes you have noted in the people around you, as well as your own altered outlook on life.”

 

As his students complimented others their lives changed and improved too! And by complimenting others they too were motivated, encouraged, and inspired as well. Dr. Crane said, “Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on earth.” (Compliment Club)

 

As a teacher I have watched my students, colleagues, family members, and friends blossom from words of encouragement. By giving them a sincere compliment, they have the energy and the desire to try harder at whatever they are working on. Everyone in life needs positive encouragement to help them grow, inspire and motivate them to succeed. The “Power of Encouragement” gives us hope that we can succeed and everyone needs it!

 

A fabulous story of motivating and inspiring students is “All the Good Things” by Sister Helen P. Mrosla. She was teaching her eighth-grade math students a very difficult math concept and her students were very frustrated. This is when she asked her students to write down all the students' names in the class, on two sheets of paper, and to leave room to write, “the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates”.

After class, Sister Mrosla made a separate list of these wonderful compliments on two sheets of note book paper for each student and handed them out to her students the following Monday. Her students were all glowing with happiness after reading their sheets. Many years later she would be asked to attend Mark Eklund’s funeral by his parents. 

 

Her former student was killed in Vietnam. When she spoke to his parents after the funeral they shared with Sister Mrosla the two sheets of notebook paper that she had written down “all the good things” his classmates had written about him. These two sheets were well worn and were in his pocket when he died.

 

Mark’s mother said, “Thank you so much for doing that. As you can see, Mark treasured it.” 

 

These words of praise can last a lifetime. In all of life, people need praise and encouragement to improve, to be inspired, to learn, and to grow. When President Abraham Lincoln died, among the items in his pocket were 8 newspaper clippings on positive things said about him during his re-election campaign. During his Presidency, Lincoln was maligned many times by the newspapers.

 

These 8 newspaper clippings, President Lincoln read and re-read just as Mark Eklund read and re-read “all the good things” said about him by his classmates. Both men “treasured” their sheets. Words of praise can last a lifetime!

 

Compliments I have given to others:

“The carrot cake you made for me was so delicious.”

 “Your smile lights up the room.”

 “You are so optimistic and cheerful.”

  “Your blouse looks so lovely on you.”

   “I am so proud of you for the work you have done”

 

So, what are the three simple things you can do beginning today, for your ten-day challenge to inspire, encourage, and motivate others around you?

 

1) As Dr. George Crane said, “Every day pay an honest compliment to each of three different persons.” Coach John Wooden said “Be specific with your praise.”

 

2) Follow Dr. John Maxwell’s “30 second rule” and say your inspiring and encouraging words within 30 seconds of talking to someone. Dave Sheffield, motivational speaker and author says, “Happy employee’s equal happy customers”. This should be your motto for connecting with your students, family members, your colleagues, and anyone else you are around.

 

3) Every evening at home think of several “honest compliments” you can give to “3 different people” you will be coming in contact with the next day. They can be family members, business co -workers, students, friends, and strangers. Happy people are inspired and motivated to do better work. Give the gift of compliments and you will be given a gift in return.

 

So, begin today to train your mind to look for the good in people to brighten their day and your day. Always begin with an “honest compliment”! Remember words of encouragement motivate and inspire us to do a better job, to improve our skills, and work at a higher level. © 2025, 2013 Madeline Frank

 

Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, concert artist, and parent. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold.  Contact Madeline Frank for your next live or zoom speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Lessons from General Colin Powell by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.

Colin Powell was born in Harlem, New York on April 5, 1937 to Jamaican immigrants Maud Ariel McKoy Powell and Luther Theophilus Powell. He was raised in the South Bronx and attended the New York Public Schools. He had an older sister.

 

Early years:

In 1950, the South Bronx during post war baby boom years “was the home of a large, thriving,” and vibrant community of mainly Jewish residence. There were synagogues, kosher bakeries, kosher butchers, and a baby equipment store called Sickser’s. There slogan was “Everything for the Baby”.

 

Mr. Sickser, with the assistance of his son in law Lou Kirshner, “ran a business out of the needs of the rapidly expanding child care population.” Business at Sickser’s was so busy on one beautiful spring day that Mr. Sickser and his son-in-law were unable to handle all their customers. They needed help. “Mr. Sickser ran out of the store and stopped the first youth he spotted on the street.”

 

"Young man," he panted, "how would you like to make a little extra money? I need some help in the store. You want to work a little?"

“The tall, lanky African-American young man flashed a toothy smile back. "Yes, sir, I'd like some work."

 

"Well then, let's get started." The young man, Colin Powell, "followed his new employer into the store.”

“Mr. Sickser was immediately impressed with his good manners and demeanor. As the days went by and he came again and again to lend his help, Mr. Sickser became increasingly impressed with the youth's diligence, punctuality and readiness to learn. Eventually Mr. Sickser made him a regular employee at the store. It was gratifying to find an employee with an almost soldier-like willingness to perform even the most menial of tasks, and to perform them well.”

Colin Powell from the age of 13 until his sophomore year in college worked “from 12-15 hours a week, at 50 to 75 cents an hour.”

 “Colin would later recall that Sickser's offered the one stable point in his life those days.”

He appreciated “the steady employment” and “the friendly atmosphere Mr. Sickser's store offered. Mr. Sickser learned in time about their helper's Jamaican origins, and he in turn picked up a good deal of Yiddish. In time young Colin was able to converse fairly well with his employers, and more importantly, with a number of the Jewish customers whose English was not fluent.” (Warren Boroson, August 25, 2011, A (Jewish) Bronx Tale, Jewish Standard. Times)

 

College:

Colin Powell at 17, continued to work part time at Sickser’s and began his first semester at City College of New York.  “He fit in just fine with his, for the most part Jewish, classmates.” 

“The engineering and later geology courses he chose proved quite challenging.”  

Collin Powell said, “It was only once I was in college, about six months into college when I found something that I liked, and that was ROTC, Reserve Officer Training Corps in the military. And I not only liked it, but I was pretty good at it. That's what you really have to look for in life, something that you like, and something that you think you're pretty good at. And if you can put those two things together, then you're on the right track, and just drive on.”

 

When he “shifted his study focus to ROTC he became a straight A student.” (Colin Powell Wikipedia)

 

Colin Powell said, “I became a leader almost immediately. Race, color, background, income meant nothing. [We] would go to the limit for each other and for the group.” 

 

In 1958, he earned his Bachelor of Science in geology at City College of New York. “He held the distinction of being the first chairman to have attained his commission through the ROTC.” 

 

In 1971, Colin Powell graduated with an MBA at George Washington University.

and in 1990 he received an honorary doctor of public service. (Colin Powell Wikipedia)

 

Army Career:

In 1958, Colin Powell began active duty as an army second lieutenant. 

“The army had been desegregated just a few years earlier, but Powell refused to let racists and bigots “rent space in [my] head,” as he put it in a TV One television network interview in 2004. “I’ve never let my color or racism be a problem for me,” Powell explained. “Let it be a problem for the racists, never for me, because if you let it become your problem, then you’re weakened, and you start to doubt yourself.” 

 

"That’s not to say he never got angry. (He remembers peeling out of the parking lot of an Alabama fast-food restaurant after being refused service at the drive-up window, for example.) His style, however, was to focus on solutions.”

 

Colin Powell married Alma Vivian Johnson, audiologist, on August 25, 1962. They had three children. 

 

“When he and his new bride were assigned to live at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Powell was unable to find suitable housing and contemplated sending his wife, who was pregnant with their first child, back to her parents’ house in Birmingham. An army pal insisted they stay with his family – despite the neighbors’ consternation at a black couple living with a white family – and Powell and his wife slept in kid-size bunk beds. For Powell, success has always been about coupling a big-picture focus with a drive to prove his opponents wrong by sticking it out and doing his best. “By doing my best every day, day after day, year after year,” he writes, “I finally got to the top.”

 

He served “two tours of duty in Vietnam.” He “rose to the top ranks of the U.S. military. In 1989, under President George Bush, Colin Powell was sworn in as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

 “In 1993, two years after he guided the American victory over Iraq in the Gulf War, Colin Powell visited the Holy Land. Upon meeting Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir in Jerusalem, he greeted the Israeli with the words Men kent reden Yiddish — "We can speak Yiddish."  (Warren Boroson, August 25, 2011, A (Jewish) Bronx Tale, Jewish Standard. Times)

 

“Shot Callers and Brawlers”

“When he rose in the ranks, working under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Powell never hesitated to give his honest input, even if it ruffled feathers. “I’ve said to the president, ‘You don’t pay me to give you happy talk, you pay me to tell you what I think." 

“Powell revealed in an interview with teenink.com, during which he encouraged young people to stand up for their beliefs and speak their minds.”

 

“In 1990, Powell was at a high-level meeting to plan a response to Saddam Hussein’s march into Kuwait. As the meeting wound down, Powell felt a key question had been sidestepped: would the United States be willing to go to war to liberate Kuwait? Although he knew the question might be premature and should not technically come from him, he remembered his repugnance for leaders who let the Vietnam War go on without pressing political leaders for clear objectives. He brought up the issue and was greeted by a palpable chill. Later, then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney rebuked him for the broach of protocol. Still, Powell remained unapologetic. “

 

“I’ve told this to many bosses over the years,” Powell told teenink.com . “If you don’t want me to tell you what I think, then you need to find somebody else, because if you ask me a question, I’m going to answer it, and it’s kind of irrelevant to me whether you like the answer.” 

 

“According to Powell, debates exist in all healthy organizations. “We’re supposed to sharpen the edges of debate, we’re supposed to argue with each other, we’re supposed to examine issues fully and without filters to help the president with issues,” he says. “So, if Don Rumsfeld comes from one point of view and I come from another and the vice president does and the director of Central Intelligence does, and we argue and debate and fight about it, this doesn’t mean the place is falling apart; it means it’s working.”

 

 After the boss has made a decision, however, Powell considers it imperative to support it fully, no matter what his personal opinion might be. “Once a decision has been made,” he said in his autobiography, “the debate ends.” 

 

“Powell demands the same kind of honesty from his own subordinates. As a general, for example, he always asked his commanders to speak up, share bad news quickly and ask questions if his guidance seemed unclear, even if that meant asking continued questions after repeated explanations. “The worst thing,” he wrote in his autobiography, “was for subordinates to labor in ignorance in order to conceal their confusion and wind up doing the wrong thing.”

 

“Powell can be as tough as they come, but those who’ve worked with him point out that he is also incredibly personable and engaging. “A friend of mine was an ambassador to Amman, and when he came back from his tour of duty, there was a note on his desk from Powell, thanking him for everything he’d done,” says General Anthony Zinni, USMC (ret.), who served as Powell’s special envoy to the Middle East from November 2002 to March 2003. “That had never happened before,” Zinni says. “He never had the secretary of state come down and shake his hand.” (Mission Critical: Leadership Lessons from Colin Powell by SellingPower .com/7045) 

 

“From the Front Lines”

“Leadership can be lonely, but Powell never hid behind his lofty titles and trappings of power. In fact, he will go out of his way to eliminate the invisible lines of power that can cut leaders off from vital information. “In the military, when you become a four-star general, people will do anything you even suggest you want. If you say a wall looks a little dirty, by sundown, it’s painted. I had to work at breaking down that deference to hear from my people,” Powell said in Oren Harari’s Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell.” (McGraw-Hill, 2002). 

 

“Over the years Powell developed ways of making himself available to anyone who might want to share a problem or idea with him. During his army command, he made a habit of walking a fixed route at the same time each day. Everyone keeps an eye on the boss and his habits, and soldiers quickly learned to take advantage of this valuable face time. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Powell outright encouraged employees to enter and leave his office “without exaggerated ceremony.” He kept round tables in his office and conference rooms, so no one would ever occupy the head seat. His desk was colossal in size, but when people entered his office, he was quick to come out from behind it for a handshake, and he was known for conducting discussions in a small alcove adjoining his office.”

 

“Behind these tactics is Powell’s desire to keep one ear to the ground. “He was always very interested to hear from people on the front line,” Zinni says. “He talked to me every day and called me anytime there was a policy or strategic decision being made at the senior levels. He wants the views from the people who are going to execute those decisions. That’s one thing everyone loves about him – that ability to bring subordinates in and involve them.” 

 “And with Powell, it’s genuine,” Zinni adds. “It’s not a put-on, and it’s not forced. He likes to seek people out at every level and always demonstrates his appreciation for what they do and for what they have to say.”

 

“Powell believes that knowing the opinions of those at the bottom will better inform the decisions made by those at the top. By constantly taking the pulse of the organization from head to toe, Powell feels confident in backing his team to the hilt, even if it puts him in a tight spot. During Operation Desert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf told Powell he needed a few extra days before the agreed-upon date to start the ground campaign. The president was anxious to get the campaign underway, but Powell got his approval to wait a few days. Then Schwarzkopf made a second request for more time, citing issues with the weather.”

 

“Powell, under no small amount of pressure himself, told Schwarzkopf the delays were getting difficult to explain to the higher-ups. Schwarzkopf exploded that Powell didn’t understand his problems and didn’t care about the lives of the soldiers.”

 “That did it,” Powell told PBS’s Frontline in 1996. “I exploded and started shouting back at him. And we got into a pretty good row. But then we have the utmost respect and affection for each other. I think the world of Norm. And we knew we’d better stop talking. So, I said, ‘Look, Norm, we’ve got a problem. We’ll work our way through.’” Schwarzkopf confessed that the pressure was building. “I think I’m losing it,” he said. “I feel like my head’s in a vise.” 

General Colin Powell, “You’re not losing it. You have our total confidence, but you’ve got a problem. We’ll work our way through this problem. You know at the end of the day, I will carry your message forward. You’re the guy in the field.” 

 

“For Powell, the exchange was an exercise in an old lesson he learned watching two lawyers going at it – the lawyer who won the case later attributed his success not to the strength of his argument, but to the fact that the opponent let his ego get in the way. “Never let your ego get so close to your position that you lose your case and your ego at the same time,” Powell said at a speech at the fifth-annual Information Privacy Forum sponsored by InfoUSA in Aspen, CO. Powell took Schwarzkopf’s request to Cheney. “I told him, ‘We’ve got to wait a little while,’” Powell said. Half an hour later, the weather cleared, and Schwarzkopf was able to start the ground campaign with no further delays. “

 

“Powell, who retired from his position as secretary of state on November 15, 2004, continued to give speeches and promote the charity he founded in 1997, America’s Promise, with the objective of improving resources and education for children. He is not a man who likes to look back at turning points, greatest achievements or his most memorable moments. It’s no surprise that if he does have a definition of success, it’s wrapped up in the people who give their all for him, just as he gives his all in the work he does on behalf of the nation. As he told the Academy of Achievement: “No medal, no nice introduction, no awards could substitute for the knowledge I have that I’m reasonably well respected by my fellow soldiers. If I didn’t have that, I would have considered this to be a busted career.” (Mission Critical: Leadership Lessons from Colin Powell by SellingPower .com/7045) 

 

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell’s Thirteen Rules of Leadership (Oct. 18, 2021) 1937-2021

"As we reflect on former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s legacy, we are reminded of his thirteen rules of leadership which have guided so many of our colleagues and principals. We are grateful for his love of the State Department and his legacy that we still feel in the workplace. "

 

Secretary Powell’s 13 Rules:

1. “ It ain’t as bad as you think! It will look better in the morning." 

2.  "Get mad then get over it."

3.  "Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it."

4. " It can be done."

5. "Be careful what you choose. You may get it." 

6. "Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision." 

7.  " You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours." 

8.  "Check small things."

9.  "Share credit."

10. "Remain calm. Be kind."

11. " Have a vision. Be demanding." 

12. "Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers."

13. " Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

 

General Colin Powell died on October 18, 2021. He was "an American statesman, diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th national security advisor from 1987 to 1989, and the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.” 

  

 General Colin Powell “whose decades long career repeatedly made history and who was for years the Republican statesman, often discussed his leadership philosophy, famously saying Leadership is solving problems.”