I love stories. In the course of my career, I gathered a number of them that mean a lot to me. Most come from my military life. I was in the military from age seventeen, as an ROTC cadet, until I was a retired GI at age fifty-six. Others came from my service as Secretary of State or National Security Advisor. Yet others came to me as I just wandered through life. In this book I want to share with you a selection of these stories and experiences that have stayed with me over the years; each one of them taught me something important about life and leadership. I offer them to you for whatever use you may wish to make of them.
Part I explains my “Thirteen Rules,” which have been bouncing around since they were first published in Parade magazine over twenty years ago. Part II focuses on the importance of really knowing who you are and how to always be yourself. The emphasis in Part III is on knowing and taking care of others, especially those who are your followers. Part IV captures my experience in the exploding digital realm that has reshaped the world and our lives. Part V deals with how to be a great manager and a great leader. Part VI, “Reflections,” describes serious and amusing aspects of my life. The afterword summarizes what the whole book is about—people in all their glorious, loving, and frustrating forms.
As you will see, there are no conclusions or recommendations, just my observations. The chapters are freestanding. You can read them straight through or jump in anywhere. Everyone has life lessons and stories. These are mine. All I can say is that they worked for me.
—Colin Powell