Quotes by Colin Powell

“Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.”

“Every person I work with knows something better than me. My job is to listen long enough to find it and use it.”

“Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”

“Experts often possess more data than judgment.”

“Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.”

“Command is lonely.”

“My advice to actresses is dont worry about your looks. The very thing that makes you unhappy in your appearance may be the one thing to make you a star.”

“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances”

“Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.”

“The key to success is often the ability to adapt”

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word-excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.”

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. Animportant attribute in successful people is their impatience with negativethinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates willchange. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want youto stay where they are. Friends that dont help you climb will want you tocrawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those thatdont increase you will eventually decrease you.Consider this:Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problemswith someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those whonever succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone hasa right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of thebargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Dont follow anyonewhos not going anywhere.With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be carefulwhere you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is theperson who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run withwolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, youwill learn how to soar to great heights.A mirror reflects a mans face, but what he is really like is shown by thekind of friends he chooses.The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom youclosely associate - for the good and the bad.Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends.Yes...do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they willalways be your family no matter what. Just know that they are human firstand though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else andwill fit somewhere in the criteria above.In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends.Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them.If you are going to achieve excellence in big things,you develop the habit in little matters.Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude....

There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.

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

Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.

You dont know what you can get away with until you try.

Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.

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

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