53 Quotes By Colin Powell


In other words, don't expect to always be great. Disappointments, failures and setbacks are a normal part of the lifecycle of a unit or a company and what the leader has to do is constantly be up and say 'we have a problem, let's go and get it'.
Colin Powell on great

Wouldn't it be great if we could look forward to a whole world in which no child will be left behind?
Colin Powell on great

Just hit my 75th birthday, I'm feeling great!
Colin Powell on great

The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfillment of its destiny.
Colin Powell on health

The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfillment of its destiny.
Colin Powell on history

90 percent of my time is spent on 10 percent of the world.
Colin Powell on history

I don't think we handled the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad as well as we might have. But that's now history.
Colin Powell on history

Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see the time when that number of nuclear weapons is down to zero and the world is a much better place.
Colin Powell on hope

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
Colin Powell on leadership

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Colin Powell on learning

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
Colin Powell on learning

In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that's called marriage, and allowing them to live together with the protection of law, it seems to me is the way we should be moving in this country.
Colin Powell on legal

I respect the fact that many denominations have different points of view with respect to gay marriage and they can hold that in the sanctity in the place of their religion and not bless them or solemnize them.
Colin Powell on marriage

In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that's called marriage, and allowing them to live together with the protection of law, it seems to me is the way we should be moving in this country.
Colin Powell on marriage

It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
Colin Powell on morning

The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and security will be met - or action will be unavoidable. And a regime that has lost its legitimacy will also lose its power.
Colin Powell on peace

War should be the politics of last resort. And when we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support.
Colin Powell on politics

Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.
Colin Powell on politics

You should see what our Founding Fathers used to say to each other and in the early part of our nation. But what they were able to do, especially in Philadelphia in 1787, four months, they argued about what a House should be, what a Senate should be, the power of the president, the Congress, the Supreme Court. And they had to deal with slavery.
Colin Powell on power

The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and security will be met - or action will be unavoidable. And a regime that has lost its legitimacy will also lose its power.
Colin Powell on power