Quote

We all hoped in 2001 that we could put in place an Afghan government under President Karzai that would be able to control the country, make sure al-Qaeda didn't come back, and make sure the Taliban wasn't resurging. It didn't work out.

Colin Powell

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Colin Powell
Age: 87
Born: 1937
Born: April 5
Diplomat
Former United States Secretary Of State
Politician
Soldier
New York City
New York
Colin Luther Powell
Government
Hoped
Back
Als
Able
Wasn
Come
Control
Country
Sure
Work
President
Make
Didn
Would
Place
Afghan

More quotes by Colin Powell

Image
Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.
Colin Powell
Image
All values are important, everyone who has ever touched my life in some way was a mentor for good or bad. Life is a blend, and a person is a blend of all the influences that have touched their lives.
Colin Powell
Image
I think that military, corporate, and non-political organizations are pretty much similar.
Colin Powell
Image
Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.
Colin Powell
Image
Leaders have followers. The primary role of a leader is to convey to those followers a sense of purpose, vision, and mission.
Colin Powell
Image
What could be more important than equipping the next generation with the character and competence they need to become successful
Colin Powell
Image
Don't just show kindness in passing or to be courteous. Show it in depth, show it with passion, and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice it's about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.
Colin Powell
Image
That's why the army sends all its future generals to what we call charm school. As soon as you are a general, people think that you know everything. You think yourself that you have become omniscient and omnipotent. Be careful, because people want to do everything they can to please the general, and you need to guard against this.
Colin Powell
Image
Every organization needs to be introspective, transparent, and honest with itself. This only works if everyone is unified on the goals and purposes of the organization and there is trust within the team. High-performing, successful organizations build cultures of introspection and trust and never lose sight of their purpose.
Colin Powell
Image
America has a terrible educational problem in the sense that we have too many youngsters not finishing school. A third of our kids don't finish high school, 50 percent of minorities don't finish high school.
Colin Powell
Image
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Colin Powell
Image
One thing the military does far better than business is train its own leaders. I can't go to IBM and hire a battalion commander. They don't have any.
Colin Powell
Image
The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise.
Colin Powell
Image
It was President [Bill] Clinton and the United States congress in 1998 which said that the regime has to be changed because the regime would not give up its weapons of mass destruction. We came into office in 2001 and kept that policy because Saddam Hussein had not changed.
Colin Powell
Image
War is never a happy solution, but it may be the only solution. We must exhaustively explore other possible solutions before we make the choice for war. Every political and diplomatic effort should be made to avoid war while achieving your objective.
Colin Powell
Image
Another rule I have is: Don't let your ego get tied up in a policy dispute. Otherwise, if things don't go your way, you can end up breaking a relationship with somebody with whom you can't afford to break.
Colin Powell
Image
Let's not forget that Congress bears a lot of responsibility for many of the problems we have now
Colin Powell
Image
We are not trapped in what the science of management says we can do. We are capable of doing what the art of leadership says is possible.
Colin Powell
Image
As I've thought about gay marriage, I don't see any reason not to say that [couples] should be able to get married.
Colin Powell
Image
Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.
Colin Powell