Leadership isn't about the stars on a shoulder or the title on a mahogany door. It’s mostly about people. If you’ve spent any time in a corporate boardroom or a military barracks, you’ve probably heard someone mention the "Thirteen Rules." They come from General Colin Powell’s memoir, It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership, a book that basically became a Bible for anyone trying to navigate high-stakes environments without losing their soul.
Powell was a complicated figure, and he knew it. He didn't write a dry manual on management theory. He wrote a collection of stories—some funny, some genuinely painful—about how a kid from the South Bronx ended up as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State.
Honestly, the book is less about "power" and more about the "plumbing" of human interaction. It’s about why you should check the small things. It's about why your ego isn't as important as you think it is.
The Rules That Actually Matter
You’ve likely seen the list. It’s everywhere. But reading them in a vacuum is different than seeing them applied when the world is literally falling apart.
Rule Number One: It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. This sounds like something your grandma would say over a cup of tea. But coming from a man who had to weigh in on nuclear deterrents and global insurgencies? It hits different. Powell’s point wasn't to be a "toxic optimist." He just believed that sleep and distance provide a perspective that panic destroys. If you make a decision at 2:00 AM while your heart is racing, you’re probably going to regret it by 9:00 AM.
Then there’s the one that gets people fired or promoted: Check small things. He tells this story about a general who was obsessed with how clean the barracks were. It wasn't because he was a neat freak. It was because if a soldier isn't disciplined enough to fold a blanket, they might not be disciplined enough to maintain a weapon system that keeps their friends alive. In It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership, Powell argues that excellence is a habit, not an event. You don’t just "turn it on" for the big presentation if you’ve been sloppy with your emails all week.
The Ego Trap
"Don’t let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it."
This is probably the most famous takeaway.
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Think about how many people you know who are their job titles. When they get laid off or retire, they crumble. Powell saw this in the military all the time. Colonels who thought they were gods until they took off the uniform and realized no one was required to salute them anymore. If you tie your worth to your desk, you’re fragile.
He was also big on the idea that "it can be done." Not in a fake, motivational-speaker kind of way. More like a "don't quit before you've actually tried every angle" kind of way. He hated the "no-can-do" attitude that infects large bureaucracies. You know the type—the person who finds a reason why an idea won't work before you've even finished the sentence.
Why 2026 Leaders Still Care
We live in an era of "quiet quitting" and massive technological shifts. Why does a book by a retired General from a decade ago still rank on Google?
Because human nature doesn't change.
The tech changes. The "lifestyle" changes. But the way people feel when they aren't trusted by their boss? That’s universal. Powell’s philosophy in It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership focuses on "The People in the Trenches." He talks about how he used to visit the folks working in the mailroom or the garage. Not for a photo op. He did it because they actually knew what was going on in the building.
Information vs. Intelligence
Powell had this "70/40" rule for making decisions.
- If you have less than 40% of the information, you’re just guessing.
- If you wait until you have 100%, the opportunity has passed you by.
- The sweet spot is between 40% and 70%.
That’s where intuition kicks in. In the business world, we call this "analysis paralysis." We wait for one more report, one more data point, one more market survey. Meanwhile, the competitor has already launched. Powell’s military background taught him that a "good" plan executed now is better than a "perfect" plan executed when it’s too late.
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The "Pottery Barn Rule" and Taking Responsibility
You can’t talk about Powell without talking about Iraq. It’s the elephant in the room. In the book, he’s candid—though some critics say not candid enough—about the failures of intelligence leading up to the 2003 invasion.
He famously told George W. Bush, "If you break it, you own it." This became known as the Pottery Barn rule.
In leadership, ownership is everything. Most people today try to "pivot" or "rebrand" their failures. Powell’s take was simpler: if you’re the leader, the failure belongs to you. Period. Even if your subordinate messed up, you’re the one who put them there or failed to supervise them. It’s a harsh standard, but it’s the only one that actually builds trust in a team.
When a leader says, "This was my fault," the team stops looking for scapegoats and starts looking for solutions.
Getting the Most Out of the "Powell Way"
If you’re reading this because you’re overwhelmed at work or you’re trying to figure out how to manage a team that doesn’t seem to care, stop looking for a "hack."
There are no hacks in It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership.
There is just the "long way."
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- Be kind, but be clear. Powell didn't believe in being a jerk, but he did believe in firing people who weren't doing the job. Keeping a low performer is an insult to your high performers.
- Share the credit. He was obsessed with making sure the "little guy" got recognized.
- Stay calm. If the leader panics, the whole ship sinks.
He once wrote about how he kept a piece of glass on his desk that said: "Acknowledge the people who do the work." He knew that the generals get the medals, but the sergeants win the wars.
The Problem With Being Liked
One of his rules is: "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off." If everyone likes you, you aren't leading. You’re middle-managing. Leadership requires making choices that benefit the mission, even if they make you unpopular in the breakroom for a week. Powell’s career was defined by this tension. He had to navigate the egos of Rumsfeld and Cheney while trying to maintain his own moral compass. Sometimes he succeeded; sometimes he didn't.
But he was always decisive.
Actionable Steps to Implement These Lessons
You don't need a four-star rank to use these principles. You can start tomorrow morning with a few specific shifts in how you handle your day.
- The 24-Hour Rule for Anger. If an email makes your blood boil, do not reply. Write the draft, save it, and look at it the next morning. It almost always looks different in the light of day.
- The Walk-Around. Spend 15 minutes talking to someone in your organization who is at least three levels below you. Ask them what the biggest "pain point" in their day is. Don't try to fix it immediately; just listen.
- Simplify Your Rules. Powell had thirteen. Most of us have zero. Write down your own "non-negotiables." What are the three things you will never compromise on, regardless of the deadline?
- Audit Your Ego. Ask yourself: "Am I upset because this is a bad business decision, or because it wasn't my idea?" Be honest.
- Check Your "Small Things." Look at your calendar or your desk. If the small things are a mess, the big things are likely vibrating toward a collapse. Tighten up the "plumbing" of your daily routine.
Leadership is a lonely business, but it doesn't have to be a complicated one. Powell’s legacy isn't that he was perfect—he wasn't—but that he was consistent. He understood that you lead people, not spreadsheets. By focusing on the human element and maintaining a fierce discipline over his own ego, he created a roadmap that still works in 2026.
Focus on the mission. Take care of the people. The rest usually takes care of itself.