"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

Wisdom

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Insight & Reflection

The theme of wisdom is universal, yet Colin Powell manages to capture its essence in a uniquely profound way. Taking a moment to internalize this can shift our mindset, reminding us that our perspective on wisdom often shapes our reality.

About Colin Powell

Colin Luther Powell was an American U.S. Army general, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, being the first Black American to hold the office, and was the highest-ranking Black American in the federal executive branch in American history until the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008. Initially politically independent, Powell joined the Republican Party in 1995, but left it in 2021 following the January 6 United States Capitol attack. He was the 15th national security advisor from 1987 to 1989, and the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Colin Powell

"But just as they did in Philadelphia when they were writing the constitution, sooner or later, you've got to compromise. You've got to start making the compromises that arrive at a consensus and move the country forward."

— Colin Powell
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"The chief condition on which, life, health and vigor depend on, is action. It is by action that an organism develops its faculties, increases its energy, and attains the fulfillment of its destiny."

— Colin Powell
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"War should be the politics of last resort. And when we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support."

— Colin Powell
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"Giving back involves a certain amount of giving up."

— Colin Powell
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More about Wisdom

"But you know the second month I was here I put out a healthy lifestyles directive. The pundits will say it was because we were sued. Well that's what they say. It was never about that."

— Jim Cantalupo
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"Wisdom principle 14 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 2."

— Marcia J. Bennett
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"The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values."

— William S. Burroughs
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"Wisdom is humble that he knows no more."

— William Cowper
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