Leadership Profile Assignment

My Leader: J. Robert Oppenheimer

FORMAT FOR LEADER PROFILE ASSIGNMENT

Each student will be assigned a leader to profile. This profile will become part of a publically available searchable database and the student will be noted as the author. If access is available to students, each student will load his/her profile into the database software after posting in the appropriate discussion board. Each profile must include, the following information:

Leader’s popular name

Leader’s full given name

Leader’s sex

Birthdate

Deathdate

Years of leadership. Example: 2000-2012

Leader style

Leader philosophy

Leader field. Ex: military, politics, music, drama.

Leader culture: Using the Cultural Web, describe the context of the leader’s surroundings.

Notable highlights about the leader, including details about service, contributions to society, and impact as leader. How did this leader set the stage for improved performance and success?

Notable mistakes by this leader with enough details to inform the average reader.

Notable Contemporaries (minimum of 3). These contemporaries must be alive and active during the years of leader’s life.

Criteria for Assessment;

1)  This will be a single-spaced profile that will be no longer than 2 pages total, excluding references. No cover page. Indented paragraphs.

2) Author name and brief author note following the profile.

3) APA style references and writing conventions.

4) 10 scholarly resources, minimum

5) Professional and scholarly approach to writing.

…………………………………………………………………….

Name:            Colin Powell

Given Name:             Colin Luther Powell

Gender:                      Male

Birthdate:                  April 5, 1937

Death date:                Alive at age 81

Years of Leadership: 1961-2005

Leader Philosophy: “Leadership is all about people…. And getting the most out of people. It is about conveying a sense of purpose in a selfless manner and creating conditions of trust while displaying moral and physical courage. Never show fear or anger, you have to have a sense of optimism.” (Stanford Report, 2005).

Leader Field:             African American Soldier, Military Official, and Secretary of State

Leader Culture

Colin Powell lived by these 13 Rules of Leadership: Rule 1: It Ain’t as Bad as You Think.  It Will Look Better in the Morning. Rule 2: Get Mad Then Get Over It. Rule 3: Avoid Having Your Ego so Close to your Position that When Your Position Falls, Your Ego Goes With It. Rule 4: It Can be Done. Rule 5: Be Careful What You Choose. You May Get It. Rule 6: Don’t Let Adverse Facts Stand in the Way of a Good Decision. Rule 7: You Can’t Make Someone Else’s Decisions.  You Shouldn’t Let Someone Else Make Yours. Rule 8: Check Small Things. Rule 9: Share Credit. Rule 10: Remain calm.  Be kind. Rule 11: Have a Vision. Be Demanding. Rule 12: Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. Rule 13: Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Highlights

Colin Powell was a young African American man, yet profound leader in the ROTC. He was sent overseas on various deployments. On his second tour to South Vietnam, he received a medal for heroism when, despite a broken ankle, he dragged three soldiers from a downed helicopter. (LaFeber, 2009). He became famous for the Powell Doctrine, a military strategy that our troops should not be placed in danger if there was no national interests or victory in the end. This was a more diplomatic way of ‘winning wars overseas’. Colin Powell then went on to hold multiple political roles, on up to being the Secretary of State during President Bush’s first term. Although he was a man of admirable integrity and calm composure, it may have led to an undesirable early retirement.

Mistakes

His reputation was tarnished by the war in Iraq and the role he played in making the case for American intervention there. (LaFeber, 2009). He stood behind President Bush when he declared war. Some say that he did not argue the Powell’s Doctrine of diplomacy enough in regards to the war in Iraq. He should have had a stronger voice, however, the political leaders around him outnumbered him and they all ignored his strategies that came from experience in past wars.

As Secretary of State, Powell was a team player with a soldier’s loyalty to the president, did little as President Bush continually bypassed him. Some will say that President Bush won the election once Powell gave his support to Bush. However, as time passed, Bush tended to give more consideration to Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, and Dick Cheney, Vice President, than to the experienced military general, Colin Powell. Powell was known to be the reluctant warrior as he rarely advocated military intervention as a first solution to international issues. He believed in diplomacy. Unlike Powell, President Bush was known to not go by the book, he was a gut reactor and tended to be more aggressive with decisions regarding the military. Due to the more strategic traits that Powell believed in and that is in the Powell Doctrine; Powell’s beliefs were much different than Bush. This ultimately led to Powell being the odd man out and retiring in 2005. Powell was a loyal man and was that ‘obedient soldier’ with respect for the rank of his commander in chief, however, keeping quiet while he was in office with such a prestigious title may have been a mistake in some opinions.

Notable Contemporaries

Born and raised in Harlem, Powell knew the rough life. He is the story of an immigrant family, strong values, hard worker, discipline, high standards and integrity. (Harari, 2002). He always believed in “the greatness of America and the opportunities it offers.” (Powell, 1995). Powell knew how to inspire hope and motivation for the future. Although he was born and raised in a location with no promised future, Colin Powell became the youngest general in the U.S. Army, then the National Security Advisor, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and the nation’s Secretary of State. (Kinder, 2006). With all of the wars he was involved in, he was determined to pursue peace in a violent world. (Steins, 2003).

The National Security Council (NSC) wanted to make a secret sale of weapons to Iran in the believe that it would help free American hostages that were being held in Lebanon by terrorist groups supporting Iran. Powell advised NSC that the sale was illegal. His opposition helped to establish a reputation for having strong moral character that later served him well when the NSC’s deal was exposed. Powell’s character has been admired as a man of actions that is affirmed by the record of his career. (Frum, 1996).

General Colin L. Powell is a man that held various professional capacities that majority of society is not privy to the secret intelligence that General Powell had significant impacts on. Powell’s professional timeline include: his graduation as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1958; his acceptance of orders for his first tour of duty in Vietnam in 1962; his appointment to the position of special assistant to the deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in 1973; his appointment to the position of special assistant to the secretary and deputy secretary of defense in 1977; his promotion to major general in the U.S. Army in 1983; his appointment to the position of national security advisor in 1987; his promotion and appointment to the positions of four-star general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , respectively, in 1989;

his confirmation as secretary of state in 2001; and the end of his tenure in government as secretary of state in 2005. (O’Sullivan 2009).

 

Author:                      Trisha Mentzer

Author’s Note:          As a veteran, I have always looked up to Colin Powell. He showed a multitude of leadership traits that I believe are to be admired and emulated. Colin Powell was a leader in the military and stayed true to his beliefs in politics. I fully enjoyed researching the details about such a strong leader who lead not only by words, but also more importantly through actions.

References:

Christopher D. O’Sullivan, Colin Powell: American Power and Intervention from Vietnam to Iraq (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefi eld, 2009). 219 pp. ISBN: 9780742551862.

Donald R. Kinder; Corrine M. McConnaughy. In: The Public Opinion Quarterly. 70(2):139-165; Oxford University Press, 2006. Language: English, Database: JSTOR Journals

Encyclopedia of World Biography. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pe-Pu/Powell-Colin.html#ixzz5I23q4KFu (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Frum, David. In: Commentary. Jan, 1996, Vol. 101 Issue 1, p52, 4 p.; Commentary, Inc. , Database: Literature Resource Center

Harari, Oren. Edition: 1st ed. New York : McGraw-Hill Professional. 2002. eBook., Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)

Hughes, Libby. Colin Powell: A Man of Quality. Parsippany, NJ: Dillon Press, 1998

LaFEBER, WALTER. Political Science Quarterly (Academy of Political Science). Spring2009, Vol. 124 Issue 1, p71-93. 23p., Database: MasterFILE Premier

Powell, Colin L., with Joseph E. Persico. My American Journey. New York: Random House, 1995.

Stanford Report. (30 November, 2005). Effective leaders made, not born, Collin Powell says. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/november30/powell-113005.html

Steins, Richard. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2003. xv, 133 pages ; 25 cm. Language: English, Database: Troy University Libraries Catalog