Colin Powell
Soldier, Leader ... Automotive Technician?
Retired General Colin Powell is an enigma. He achieved the highest military rank possible, led the nation to a lopsided victory in a successful war, and captured the hearts and minds of a disenchanted nation yearning for trustworthy leaders. His appeal crosses social, economic and racial divides. His beliefs transcend demographics.
Yet, other than his views on a few specific issues, Powell the individual is a relative unknown. How did this man who describes himself as "a fiscal conservative with a social conscience," become a public icon?
His public persona is the result of his public performance. During the Persian Gulf War, ordinary citizens discovered what White House politicians and military personnel had known all along: Powell is a man to be trusted.
Former President Gerald Ford called Powell "the best public speaker in America." He has a great presence, driven by sincere confidence. He relates to his audience through wit, humor and humble disposition; impressing by outlining his accomplishments without the slightest trace of egotism.
Born in New York City, the son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell said he escaped an existence of passive mediocrity when he enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at CCNY. He applied the values taught to him by his father - diligence and responsibility - to his life by utilizing the self-discipline, structure and direction he learned in ROTC and later the Army. In the Army, Powell found the sense of belonging and purpose that he craved.
Powell approached the Army and its soldiers as his family; the camaraderie and order strongly appealed to him. It is the family structure that bonds us, Powell contends, giving its family members a sense of belonging - both as single family units and as a national family. He currently sees a breakdown of families throughout the land. "The breakdown in family is a breakdown in the sense of what's right and wrong," Powell said. "It's a breakdown of personal responsibility."
Powell helped conduct foreign policy decision meetings for three presidents and was cited for his intelligence, loyalty and political skill. Appointed, at age 52, the youngest ever chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Powell led the Persian Gulf War effort on the political front. Powell convinced the president and congressional leaders of the plan and the public of the validity of the mission's goals. And he did so in such a confident and trustworthy manner that a high level of faith was restored in the military.
Powell's speech at NACE '96, "The Management of Crisis and Change," is borne from experience. Management under crisis is the key to any successful operation, he believes. Powell knows readiness is crucial. He feels it is always important to be prepared for unpredictable situations and emergencies. His two tours in Vietnam also taught him that indecision and timidity are not virtues, and that quick, decisive action is crucial. He criticizes politicians from the Vietnam era for not setting clear goals, which caused a lack of faith in the operation and in the military.
As a (political) leader, the process of compromise must be mastered, he believes. But Powell contends leaders must set their goals, organize their efforts and display confidence in their position. Powell gave the president and the secretary of defense reason to be confident in the armed forces before implementing Desert Storm because he exhibited confidence in the plan himself. Well versed and prepared, he had no problem exuding reassurance that the mission was valid and would be effective.
What compels the public to adore and, quite simply, to trust the man is his genuine disposition. He displays confidence, integrity and sincerity; he's reassuring. Powell is a charismatic bridge-builder. Military figures often possess intrinsic appeal as tough, decisive leaders. Powell displays those traits, but his warm genuineness has appeal beyond the bounds of the typical military leader. He possesses a human quality to his character and seems to really care about people and this country.
His passions have now seemingly focused on his private life and his new career. Spending time with his family is his current mission, but no one really knows if this recent self-made millionaire has left the political battleground for good.
If he wishes to enter the private sector, he could always pursue an automotive career. His current hobby entails rebuilding junker Volvos in his garage. He has already restored around 30. His professed love affair with automobiles developed when he was a boy in New York. It's his time alone, he said, to think. He appreciates the logic of cars.
"Cars, unlike people, lack temperament," he wrote in his autobiography, "My American Journey." "When working on them, I was dealing not with the gods of the unknown, but the gods of the certain; not the gods of abstraction, but the gods of the concrete. If something malfunctioned in the engine, and I proceeded logically, I could identify the problem and fix it, the only area in my life where I had that kind of control. I found these mechanical puzzles absorbing and relaxing. I had found my true hobby."
Perhaps the retired general will take some time out at NACE (http://www.NACE-99.com) to demonstrate his expertise on the automobile. If his skills prove to be indeed superior, there are undoubtedly a large number of automotive organizations out there that could find room on their staff for a talented automotive technician.
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Colin Powell - Soldier, Leader ... Automotive Technician?
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How's Your Business? || Taking Your Scan Tool To The Next Level || Cruising Instead Of Abusing || Putting The Brakes On Payroll Headaches || What's Ahead For The Collision Industry? || Guest Editorial - The Mouse That Roared || Tech To Tech || TechTips || Stat Corner || News Briefs || Taking The Hill || Directions || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLIV No. 11, November 1996
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