Colin Powell
The son of Jamaican immigrants,
Powell is one of the most respected
fi gures in public life. In a 35-year
Army career, he rose to the rank of
four-star general and served as
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
later, he served as secretary of state
under President George W. Bush. In
his 2012 book, It Worked for Me,
Powell, now 82, outlined 13 rules for
successful leadership (abridged
for space):- It ain’t as bad as you think!
It will look better in the morning. - Get mad, then get over it.
- Avoid tying your ego to your job
(or position). - It can be done!
- Be careful what you choose.
You may get it. - Don’t let adverse facts stand in
the way of a good decision. - You can’t make someone else’s
choices. You shouldn’t let
someone else make yours. - Check small things.
- Share credit.
- Remain calm. Be kind.
- Have a vision. Be demanding.
- Don’t take counsel of your fears
or naysayers. - Perpetual optimism is a force
multiplier.
Helen Keller
Rendered blind and deaf by childhood illness, she was one of America’s
most inspirational fi gures. Thanks to her devoted teacher, Annie Sullivan—
whose lessons formed the basis of the play and fi lm The Miracle Worker—
Keller (1880–1968) became the fi rst deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor’s
degree from Harvard’s Radcliffe College. She wrote several books and
gained international fame as a lecturer and humanitarian. In 1964, Lyndon
B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Despite her
disabilities, Keller counseled positivity. “Resolve to keep happy,” she said,
“and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against diffi culties.” And
diffi culties, she acknowledged, are inevitable. “ Only through experience
of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and
success achieved.”
Duracell, among other
companies—Buffett was worth
$87 billion as of November 2019,
making him the third-richest
person in the world. At 89, he is
also one of the most
magnanimous, having pledged to
give 99% of his fortune to various
philanthropies. But even an oracle
can use advice now and then, and
in a 2010 interview, Buffett
shared what he called the wisest
counsel he’d ever received. It
came from Berkshire board
member Thomas Murphy, and it
boiled down to exercising restraint
and a measure of humility. As
Murphy put it, Buffett recalled:
“You can tell a guy to go to hell
tomorrow—you don’t give up the
right. So just keep your mouth
shut today, and see if you feel the
same way tomorrow.”Warren Buff ett
He’s known as the Oracle of
Omaha, legendary for his
business and investment acumen.
Chairman and CEO of the
conglomerate Berkshire
Hathaway—owner of GEICO, Dairy
Queen, Fruit of the Loom and