Ever had one of those days where everything just falls apart? You’re staring at a project that’s gone sideways, or maybe you just had a blowout with a colleague. Honestly, we’ve all been there. It’s in these moments that I find myself thinking back to the late Colin Powell. Not just the four-star general or the Secretary of State, but the guy who wrote down a bunch of rules on scraps of paper under the glass top of his desk.
His book, Colin Powell It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership, isn't your typical, dry business manual. It’s more like sitting down with a very wise, slightly salty uncle who has seen it all—from the Bronx to the Pentagon. He doesn't give you "synergistic frameworks." He gives you stories about mopping floors and why you should never let your ego get too close to your office chair.
The 13 Rules: Not Just for Generals
You might have heard of his "Thirteen Rules." They’re famous, but people often treat them like a Pinterest board instead of the battle-tested advice they are.
Take Rule #1: "It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." That’s not just some "keep your chin up" platitude. Powell was talking about the biological reality of stress. When you’re exhausted and it’s 2:00 AM, every problem looks like a mountain. By morning, after some shut-eye, it’s usually just a hill. He lived this during the Gulf War and through countless diplomatic crises. He basically told his staff: don't make the big call when you're frantic. Wait for the sun.
Then there’s Rule #3, which is probably my favorite: "Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it." In the corporate world, or even just in a friend group, we get so wrapped up in being "the manager" or "the expert." Powell saw guys lose their minds because they lost their rank. If you define yourself by your title, you’re fragile. If you define yourself by your character, you’re untouchable. It's a subtle shift, but it changes everything about how you handle a layoff or a demotion.
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Kindness is a Force Multiplier
One thing that surprises people about Colin Powell It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership is how much he talks about being nice.
Wait. A General talking about kindness?
Yeah. He calls perpetual optimism a "force multiplier." In the military, a force multiplier is something that makes a small team act like a huge one—like better technology or higher ground. Powell argued that a leader’s attitude does the same thing. If you’re a pessimistic jerk, your team will give you 50%. If you’re optimistic and kind, they’ll give you 120%.
He tells this story about how he used to visit the people in the "bowels" of the State Department—the folks in the mailroom or the garage. He didn't do it for a photo op. He did it because he knew that if the garage wasn't working, the Secretary of State wasn't getting to the meeting. He knew their names. He asked about their kids.
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Basically, he believed that leadership is about humans, not "human resources." If you don't care about the person mopping the floor, you aren't leading; you're just bossing people around.
The "Busy Bastard" Trap
Powell had this great term: "Busy Bastards."
These are the people who stay late every night, send emails at 3:00 AM, and act like the world will stop spinning if they take a lunch break. Powell hated that. He thought it was a sign of a poorly managed life. He would tell his aides to go home. He wanted them fresh.
He realized that being "busy" is often just a way to avoid doing the hard work of thinking. It’s easy to fill a calendar. It’s hard to make a tough decision. In the book, he emphasizes that a leader’s job is to solve problems, not to manage them into infinity. If a meeting doesn't need to happen, kill it. If a report is too long, cut it.
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What He Got Wrong
To be fair, Powell was also incredibly honest about his failures. He doesn't skip over the 2003 UN speech regarding Iraq. He calls it a "blot" on his record.
What’s interesting about his take on it in the book is how it ties back to his rules. He talks about how he was presented with "facts" that turned out to be wrong. He didn't follow his own rule about checking the small things well enough in that instance. It’s a heavy chapter. But it adds a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that you don't get from "perfect" leaders. He shows that even the best systems can fail if you don't stay vigilant.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Week
So, how do you actually use this? You don't need to be a general to use the Powell method.
- The 24-Hour Rule: Next time someone sends you an email that makes your blood boil, don't reply. Put it in drafts. Look at it at 9:00 AM tomorrow. I bet you’ll rewrite the whole thing.
- Check the "Small Things": Walk the floor. If you work remotely, "walk" the Slack channels. Talk to the junior person who never gets mentioned in the big meetings. Ask them what’s broken. They usually know better than the VPs.
- Share the Win: When something goes right, literally point at someone else. Powell was huge on "sharing the credit." It costs you nothing and buys you more loyalty than a 3% raise ever could.
- Get Mad, Then Get Over It: It's okay to be annoyed. It's not okay to hold a grudge. Grudges are like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Say your piece, then move on to the next mission.
At the end of the day, Colin Powell It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership is a reminder that leadership isn't a rank. It’s a choice. You can be a leader at a soda-bottling plant—a job Powell actually had—or in the Oval Office. The rules stay the same. Focus on the people, keep your ego in check, and for heaven's sake, get some sleep before you make a big decision.
Next Steps for Your Leadership Growth:
Start by auditing your own "ego-to-position" ratio. Ask yourself: "If my job title disappeared tomorrow, what’s left of my leadership?" If the answer is "not much," it’s time to start investing in the "human gestures" Powell championed. Pick one person in your organization who is usually invisible and go out of your way to acknowledge their contribution this week. That’s where real leadership begins.