Secrets of Leadership (Part II)

Today's post continues the theme on leadership 'secrets'.  Today I look at the leadership 'secrets' of Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State.  Colin Powell's principles come from the book, The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, by Oren Harari.  There are 18 principles in total.  Today I'll present the first nine and follow-up with the last nine in tomorrow's post.  While some have a distinct military flavor, each translate equally well and have direct application to the civilian / private sector.  After all good leadership is good leadership, period.

1. Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off.
2. The day 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.
3. Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites.  Experts often possess more data than judgment.  Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world.
4. Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.
5. Never neglect details.  When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.
6. You don't know what you can get away with until you try.
7. Keep looking below surface appearances.  Don't shrink from doing so (just) because you might not like what you find.
8. Organization doesn't really accomplish anything.  Plans don't accomplish anything, either.  Theories of management don't much matter.  Endeavors succeed or fall because of the people involved.  Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.
9. Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.