Leadership advice is usually a drag. You've seen the airport bookstore shelves—dozens of glossy covers promising "synergy" and "disruptive innovation" written by people who have never actually had to make a life-or-death call. Honestly, it gets exhausting. But then there’s Colin Powell It Worked for Me, a book that feels less like a corporate manual and more like a conversation over coffee with a guy who’s seen it all.
Powell wasn’t just a "suit." He was a soldier first. From the South Bronx to the Pentagon, he climbed every rung of the ladder. He didn't do it by being the loudest person in the room or the most ruthless. He did it by following a set of internal guidelines that he eventually scribbled down on scraps of paper and kept under the glass top of his desk.
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He called them his "Thirteen Rules."
The Rules That Actually Work
You might think a four-star general would be all about rigid discipline and shouting orders. Not really. When you dig into Colin Powell It Worked for Me, the vibe is surprisingly human. He talks about kindness. He talks about getting mad and then—this is the hard part—getting over it.
Take Rule No. 1: It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
That sounds like something your grandma would say, right? But coming from a man who managed the Persian Gulf War, it carries weight. It’s about perspective. When a project fails or a client fires you, the initial shock is a biological response. Your brain is screaming. Powell’s point is basically: don't make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion. Sleep on it. Usually, the "disaster" looks more like a "problem" by 8:00 AM.
Then there’s the ego thing. Rule No. 3 says: Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
This is a big one in the business world. People get so wrapped up in their titles—VP of This, Director of That—that they lose their identity. If the company folds or they get laid off, they crumble. Powell argues that you have to separate who you are from what you do. If your idea gets shot down in a meeting, it’s the idea that failed, not you as a human being. Keeping that distance keeps you sane.
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The "Busy Bastards" and Other Lessons
One of the best parts of the book is where he calls out "Busy Bastards." These are the people who think being "busy" is the same thing as being "productive." You know the type. They send emails at 2:00 AM just to show they’re working. They stay late doing nothing just to be seen.
Powell hated that.
He believed in efficiency so you could go home and be with your family. He mentions his teenage job at a baby furniture store and later at a soda-bottling plant. He mopped floors. He didn't just mop them; he mopped them so well that people noticed. That’s where he learned that "someone is always watching."
It’s a simple lesson: do your best even when the task feels small. Especially when it feels small.
Leading from the Bottom Up
Most people think leadership is about the person at the top of the pyramid. Powell flipped that. He spent a huge chunk of his career focused on the "troops"—the people doing the actual work.
In the State Department, he made waves by insisting on better technology for the rank-and-file employees. He didn't just want a fancy computer for himself; he wanted the desk officers to have the tools they needed. He called this "taking care of the troops."
- Trust your people: He once delegated a high-level presidential briefing to two junior desk officers. Why? Because they knew the material better than he did.
- Share the credit: When things go right, the leader should step back and let the team take the applause.
- Check the small things: Success is built on a thousand tiny details. If the "small things" are rotting, the big things will eventually collapse.
The Problem with Being "Right"
Honestly, Powell is very candid about his mistakes. He doesn't hide from the 2003 UN speech regarding WMDs in Iraq. It’s arguably the biggest blot on his record.
In the book, he reflects on how "adverse facts" can be ignored when everyone is caught up in a specific narrative. He warns leaders not to let their desire for a certain outcome blind them to the reality on the ground. He calls it "the pottery barn rule"—if you break it, you own it. Taking responsibility isn't just a moral choice; it's a leadership requirement.
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He also talks about the importance of being a "dis-organizer." Sometimes the "best practices" everyone raves about are actually just old habits that don't work anymore. You have to be willing to stir the pot.
Moving Toward Perpetual Optimism
If there’s one takeaway from the whole philosophy, it’s that perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. That’s Rule No. 13. If you believe you’re going to fail, you probably will. If you tell your team "we’re doomed," they’ll stop trying. Optimism isn't about being delusional; it's about believing in your ability to find a solution. It’s a choice.
How to apply this tomorrow
You don't need to be a General to use this stuff. Start small.
- The 24-Hour Rule: Next time you get a "disaster" email, don't reply immediately. Wait until the next morning. See if it still feels like the end of the world.
- Kill the Ego: In your next meeting, if someone disagrees with you, consciously tell yourself: "They are attacking the idea, not my value as a person."
- The Human Gesture: Find one person in your organization who usually gets ignored—the janitor, the intern, the mailroom guy—and learn their name. Ask them how they are. It sounds cheesy, but Powell swore by it. Kindness works because it builds a bond that "professionalism" alone can't touch.
Leadership isn't a secret club. It’s just a series of habits practiced over a long time. Powell’s life proves that you can come from nothing, make some massive mistakes, and still lead with integrity if you have a solid set of rules to fall back on.
Actionable Next Steps
To truly integrate these principles, pick one of the 13 rules each week to focus on exclusively. For example, during "Rule 9: Share Credit" week, make it a point to publicly acknowledge a colleague's contribution in every meeting you attend. By isolating the behaviors, you move the concepts from "interesting ideas" to "ingrained habits." You can also perform a "desk audit" similar to Powell's: identify the 3-5 core values that define your professional identity and keep them physically visible in your workspace to guide your decision-making when the pressure mounts.