It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership

A must read for everyone!

He’s has a lot of wonderful stories, along with great messages that actually translate into everyday life.

Great book on life and leadership. Gen Powell has reached the heights of the military command structure on merit and hard work for his generation. AAR After Action Review is a Fantastic tool to use not only in the military but civilian life too. I constantly use it. Again great book to invest.

General Colin Powell is a remarkable man. I picked up his autobiography, My American Journey, at a used books store and liked it so well that I had to buy this second book.I especially appreciate the deeper understanding I gained of how things work in Washington. Wish he had run for President years ago, but I respect his reasons for declining to run.

I would recommend this book to folks that I know and who need to realize what thiVs life is all about. Secretary of State Powell empowered and saw the power in empowering those under his command and try to make leaders out of them.

I have not read it only heard snippets. I bag e two of these as Christmas gifts.

My husband & I enjoyed discussing the writings of Colin Powell in this book. Like many others, we had expected him to run for President … after reading his thoughts on life & leadership, we can’t help but wonder what a difference he might have made for our nation as President. Wisdom & insight are priceless in a leader, & despite the flaws mentioned in others’ reveiws, we still feel our nation was fortunate to have his service.

This book is filled with good advice that would probably work for anyone willing to follow it. Enjoyed reading it and may have even absorbed some of the suggestions to put into use in my daily life.

I chose the book titled, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership by one of the most interesting men in the world, Colin Powell. His career background and list of accomplishments is remarkable. From being raised in the Bronx NY with an immigrant family, he grew to defy the stereotypes to establish an advanced career from a ROTC trainee, to a top rank general, then to the first African American who was appointed as the United States Secretary of State.Upon completing this book, I now understand why it indeed in noted as a #1 national bestseller. Powell took the initiative to share a selection of his own personal stories and experiences which over the years of his career, taught him vital lessons in regards to life and leadership. Within the first chapters of the book, he teaches you what he called the Thirteen Rules. These thirteen rules are the main key factors for the entire book. These rules depicted his personal stories and elaborated how to effectively display leadership, hard work and respect for others both in life and the workforce.Overall this was an incredible, entertaining and intriguing book to read! What started as just a class assignment soon turned into an addictive, brilliant and delightful experience. This book has phenomenal resources of information, theories, and intellectual insight that could be applied to various occasions. The substantial amount of valuable knowledge this book provides is essential to apply to an individual’s daily living. Powell excelled in providing the critical knowledge and tools needed to effectively uphold the image of a good character in both leadership and relationships. I personally believe this is a book that every individual need to read in their lifetime. I personally always respected Mr. Powell just by his actions alone; however I developed a whole new sense of respect for him, his character and his disciplinary lifestyle. I will definitely be keeping this in my personal library.

I’ll admit it. I didn’t finish General Powell’s autobiography.I bought it — almost exactly 16 years ago — when it first came out. And I read most of it. I wanted to read all of it, but I didn’t. I still see it on my bookshelf and still intend to finish it. (I really need to get back to it. You have no idea how hard it has been for the last 16 years to avoid spoilers. I can’t wait to find out how Operation Desert Shield turns out!)But then I heard about this new book, and snapped it up (from Amazon.com, by the way, at a great price) and plowed through it almost immediately. That’s partly because it was shorter — I’m not too proud to admit that. Mainly, I read it quickly because I found his stories entertaining, his ideas interesting and, most importantly, I found his recommendations actionable.Rather than publish another memoir, General Powell wrote a book about leadership from which any reader can benefit. He uses stories from his past to show (clearly and concisely) how he developed these ideas and how he has successfully applied them. That’s how it’s both entertaining and actionable at the same time.The same week I was reading it, I was also in the middle of some pretty challenging people-related stuff at work/ I found myself looking at my challenges through the lens that General Powell opens up to the reader. With his guidance in mind, I did things just a little bit differently. And…it worked for me, too.Beware, though! If you find it as helpful as I do, you won’t just put it back on the shelf when you’re done. You’ll bend back corners. You’ll underline. You’ll make notes in the margins. You’ll hassle your friends to read it, too.So, save your friends the hassle and save yourself the second shipping fee: Buy extra copies now for the folks in your life who, wherever they work, have (to quote Miss Piggy, not General Powell) “the awesome responsibility of command.” Those friends will thank you, as will their colleagues.

As a retired US Army officer I read with extreme delight this book. I found myself identifying with many of the General’s thoughts and experiences. It is not only easy to read, but personal, warm, humours at times, and down to Earth. A great book for leaders and followers at any level, in any organization.

This book is extremely well written and provides keen insight.

Take notes.Inspirational, a C student and a life of achievements and service to society.

Quality of book

This is the first book I have read of Colin Powell. I wanted to know if he is the kind of person I thought he was. The book confirms my feelings and more. He is a great man and American citizen. I would be so happy to call him my friend or any great name. He deserves it. He would make a great leader in any situation. He is truly disciplined, moral, kind and patriotic. We need more men like him. An enjoyable read.

I have not yet completed reading It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, but while reading it I have been comparing my prior superior to a friend’s manager. My prior superior is THE person whom I admire most in my 70 years of life and Colin Powell is a close second only because I have not had the pleasure of knowing him personally. Working with a person who shares Colin Powell’s ethics and management style was a dream come true for the last years of my career. My latest superior, who manages exactly as Colin Powell describes in his book, has not only earned everyone’s admiration and loyalty but at least one prior employee who would go to the end of the earth for him. Such is my deep respect for him. On the contrary, my friend’s manager has lost four employees in a very short time and is about to lose more. [Training new people costs the employer money.] He does not enjoy respect or loyalty, and his work force suffers for it. [No one is happy.] While he micromanages each employee to beat sales numbers out of his people (who earn minimum wage), I boycott the company and suggest to others that they also do so because the company’s management style is so cruel to its employees. [The company ultimately loses sales.]If you manage people, you will have a successful career and enjoy the peace of self respect by following Colin Powell’s management style. This book should be required reading in all management and leadership courses.

I’ll admit it. I didn’t finish General Powell’s autobiography.I bought it — almost exactly 16 years ago — when it first came out. And I read most of it. I wanted to read all of it, but I didn’t. I still see it on my bookshelf and still intend to finish it. (I really need to get back to it. You have no idea how hard it has been for the last 16 years to avoid spoilers. I can’t wait to find out how Operation Desert Shield turns out!)But then I heard about this new book, and snapped it up (from Amazon.com, by the way, at a great price) and plowed through it almost immediately. That’s partly because it was shorter — I’m not too proud to admit that. Mainly, I read it quickly because I found his stories entertaining, his ideas interesting and, most importantly, I found his recommendations actionable.Rather than publish another memoir, General Powell wrote a book about leadership from which any reader can benefit. He uses stories from his past to show (clearly and concisely) how he developed these ideas and how he has successfully applied them. That’s how it’s both entertaining and actionable at the same time.The same week I was reading it, I was also in the middle of some pretty challenging people-related stuff at work/ I found myself looking at my challenges through the lens that General Powell opens up to the reader. With his guidance in mind, I did things just a little bit differently. And…it worked for me, too.Beware, though! If you find it as helpful as I do, you won’t just put it back on the shelf when you’re done. You’ll bend back corners. You’ll underline. You’ll make notes in the margins. You’ll hassle your friends to read it, too.So, save your friends the hassle and save yourself the second shipping fee: Buy extra copies now for the folks in your life who, wherever they work, have (to quote Miss Piggy, not General Powell) “the awesome responsibility of command.” Those friends will thank you, as will their colleagues.

This one of those books that I will read over and over because it is filled with wisdom from a truly great man. I’ve read the book and listened to the audio book (read by Colin Powell) twice. Especially valuable are the 13 pearls of wisdom that he collected over his career and was under the glass of his desktop. They appeared in the Parade Magazine article done about him years ago. It has seen been one of the most requested items from his office. Buy it. Study it and be blessed by it.

Some books can be read in a day, while some are meant to be read and processed over time. This is a book is clearly the latter. Read a chapter or two a day, and then take a few moments to think about how you can learn from and implement the concepts. Powell uses the compelling stories from his life in a way that effectively illustrates the leadership lessons with each chapter. I strongly recommend this book as a mentoring tool for Senior leaders to use with rising leaders in their organizations.

I heard about this man, what he does, and his legacy throughout his lifetime. So I decided to read this, and I loved it. Colin is a wise leader and a teacher. As a part of this new generation and a new era of leaders, people who want to become a leader should read this.

The writing is direct and easy to understand. I recommend it to anyone who leads a team and manages projects. I lead a team of over 70+ biologists and office staff on multiple projects in my previous career, and I think any leader will find that Powell’s words and principles are noteworthy and true.

This is one of my favorite books. Whenever I’m not sure what to get a friend of mine for a birthday or a Christmas gift, I ask them if they’ve read this. If they haven’t, then I buy them a copy, and they end up loving it as much as I do.

Fast shipping – Colin Powell’s Principles are timeless

One of the most strategic and politically astute military leaders of the last few generations. A natural story teller, this book pulls you in fast and keep you interested from beginning to end.

Such an amazing fantastic and fabulous read. It’s like his voice is coming through the written word

There is no end to the number of books about leadership and management theory. You know from the very title that this is going to be one of the better ones. By giving his book the title It Worked for Me, Secretary Powell makes it clear that he has no pretensions about applying his system to everyone. These are simply the strategies that helped make his incredible career a success, and the readers can decide for themselves what to take from it.The writing is concise and easy to read. It packs much more value for the amount of time you’ll spend reading it than most books. Powell illustrates his principles with many examples from his experience as an officer and Secretary of State. In this way, you also learn a great deal about his life, which is helpful if you don’t feel like reading his entire autobiography first.Although his status in American history will be tarnished by his role in facilitating the Iraq War, there’s no doubt that Secretary Powell’s extraordinary talent and character were of great benefit to his country. He has delivered a great benefit to the reading public by publishing this book.

Colin Powell does a great job of hitting on several topics that are important to any leader. I’ve not read any of his other books, but plan to in the future in the hope they are as well written as this one. Mr. Powell has a great ability to share important lessons on leadership and human interaction through use of his stories from his own life and experiences. It was a great read that kept me interested and was easy to apply his recommendations.

Quick delivery as book cover was torn but not too bad. Looking forward to reading or passing along to my sons. Loved his perseverance of trying to do the “right” thing for the benefit of everyone. He was personable and passionate towards people in general.

In a world full of political hacks, Colin Powell has always been a person who spoke what he believed regardless of who it pleased or displeased. Our world needs more men like this and understand what makes them tick. This book captures the heartbeat of Colin Powell.

If we ever had a leader in my lifetime, it was Colin Powell. This book is a must read. Period. Read it.

Colin Powell led an amazing life – his autobiography is also worth reading – but for a shorter read, It worked for me really delivers the punch lines / takeaways on the head. Quick to consume, but with enough context to frame his 13 principles well. I would recommend it to anyone taking on a new leadership position, or looking for something to frame an introspective journey.

I’m always looking to up level my way of thinking especially through the eyes of black people who have succeeded to higher places. A wonderful read and depiction of what worked for Colin. I was highly impressed and captured by his story.

This book is probably the very best book, bar none, that I have ever read on leadership, common sense and respect for people. As a Fire Chief, I oversee a department of 97 fire stations spread over 7,200 square miles that answers 130,000 emergencies per year. As such, I must effectively lead our firefighters. This book is jam packed with ideas and reality checks. There is not one bad part of the book.I highly recommend the book to anyone who cares about bettering themselves. Thank you.

My 24 years in the Air Force was bookended by the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. Our collective Vietnam War saga recklessly and foolishly spent our national treasure of lives and dollars after it became apparent that it was not a conflict we could win. It also inflicted grievious damage to the morale and fiber of our nation’s military forces, men and women who were not well served by their senior military leadership who allowed them to be shackled by rules of engagement that were a bureaucrat’s nightmare. Fast forward to 1990…Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait set the table for another conflict far removed from Vietnam’s quagmire simply because of the leadership of General Colin Powell.In his book, “It Worked for me: in Life and Leadership”, the reader isn’t regaled with complex military theory or tactics. Rather General Powell simply lays out his personal rules of engagement when it comes to leading people, and that is simply to always put your people first. Cleary explain the problem, let them know what their part in solving the problem is, give them the tools they need, and then stand back and let them get to work. That, in a nutshell, is the message Colin Powell artfully conveys through example after example from both his military experience and his role in the political arena.An immensely readable book, it is jammed with knowledge that would benefit anybody interested in military affairs, any CEO who wants to take his company to the next level, and any politician who is sincerely interested in elevating our national dialogue above the deplorable state that it’s in.

Needed a replacement for the one stolen from the library book club kit that I checked out for work. Worked amazing and the library was happy with it being new.

After reading the reviews and the synopsis on Amazon, this book is exactly as I expected it to be and more. I’m halfway through it, but I’m in no rush. It’s packed with lessons that are meant to be digested.

great story, I purchased book for a college book report on management and I learned a lot. Now when my elders discuss Colin Powell and his successes I am able to teach them things they didn’t know. Also when a job interviewer ask “what is the last book you read” its a great one to use as a response.

Read it and gave to my #2 son to read in Navy pre-RTC RoM.

I liked this book because , it was easy to read, short chapters. It was easy to understand and to relate to. Coming from a man of such stature. Each story brought to mind something you could relate to whether through experience or concerns of life it self, I made it through with out falling asleep, that’s how I know it was a well written. I would recommend this book to all readers and non readers alike. Young and old. It is a very inspiring and encouraging book for all who do not believe in their dreams. Collin Powell allows us to know that all things are possible

I bought this for my son who recently graduated from OCS. I read it to make sure I was giving him something he would enjoy. I believe this is going to help encourage him in his new leadership role. Lots of good stories…. My favorite was when Colin reflected on the people who made a difference in his life. When Colin was a young Lieutenant he realized after leaving base he had lost his pistol so he dreadfully called back to the base to report the loss to the Captain. He was met at the gate by the Captain who upon handing the gun to him explained that some kids down in the village found it and fired off a round. Colin felt cold terror upon hearing this. The Captain said we heard it and went down and retrieve the gun before the kids hurt someone. He said, Don’t ever let this happening again. After Colin examined the gun he found it had not been fired but rather was found near his bed by someone where it fell out when he hurriedly left the base. Colin said he never forgot that lesson. A very good read.

I’d read some of Powell’s other books and admire him as a person and a leader. He’s a great story teller and weaves these stories from all of his experiences into the book while providing excellent insights on leadership, especially useful for those working in government but also useful for private sector people. The end of the book was a little slow as he goes into a defense of some of his policies, but they’re interesting stories and worth the read.

I read this book over several weeks one chapter at a time and enjoyed every self-contained chapter. The book covers General Powell’s experiences as a leader of men and of state, as a speaker on leadership, as a soldier who loves his country and as a man just trying to do his job the best he could. There’s a lot to learn from his simple and practical approach to leadership which appear to be summarized in his 13 rules in the first chapter. If you’re looking for advice to scale from a first-level leader to a leader of leaders, there’s valuable information here!

This was an excellent book with plenty of insights into Colin Powell, his upbringing, his values, his time in the White House as a valued adviser and also his biggest mistake – according to him – “falling for the WMD [weapons of mass destruction] argument without validation.” My only disappointment is that he didn’t discuss his personal life and I had heard his wife suffers from depression of some kind, so it would have been helpful to millions of Americans if he had been a little more “real” by sharing more of his personal life.

There is no end to the number of books about leadership and management theory. You know from the very title that this is going to be one of the better ones. By giving his book the title It Worked for Me, Secretary Powell makes it clear that he has no pretensions about applying his system to everyone. These are simply the strategies that helped make his incredible career a success, and the readers can decide for themselves what to take from it.The writing is concise and easy to read. It packs much more value for the amount of time you’ll spend reading it than most books. Powell illustrates his principles with many examples from his experience as an officer and Secretary of State. In this way, you also learn a great deal about his life, which is helpful if you don’t feel like reading his entire autobiography first.Although his status in American history will be tarnished by his role in facilitating the Iraq War, there’s no doubt that Secretary Powell’s extraordinary talent and character were of great benefit to his country. He has delivered a great benefit to the reading public by publishing this book.

My husband and I met Gen Powell at a book signing. He was pleasant, funny and gracious. Unlike some celebrities, he stayed and signed every book for everyone in line, which took hours because it was wrapped around the store one hour before he showed up. Much respect! Buy his book and be inspired!