Abstract
Being a good manager means that a person has the ability to lead and influence his subordinates. In this report, it shows that General Colin Powell can really be considered as one of the best managers or leader in the world. Although, he has some weaknesses, it has been surpassed by all his strengths. Through his management, he has able to influence not only his subordinates but also other people who always believed in his abilities.
Introduction
In this report, the best manager that will be given emphasis is Colin Powell, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff in United States of America. The discussion will include the strengths and weaknesses of Colin Powell as well as the impact or influences of Powell with regards with his management style.
Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the strengths of Powell is his ability to prove that he is really a role model. Although he is a military he always emphasized that it’s not because he is a military that he understand the role in the democratic system and that the American people respect him and do not fear him, in line of being a manager he make it sure that he follows he’s own rules and regulations. As a military and a manager as well, Powell noted that they are the servants of the people. The people and nation are the servants of military managers, as role model Powell is doing his best to show to his subordinates that he served that country to the very best he can. Many people including those in the top have been the witness on how Powell is as a role model. Fredericksburg (2003) says that Powell is a great role model; he is one of the few who can do great things outstandingly in spite of many challenges; always puts others before himself. As a true manager, Powell according to Plotz (2000) is truly a role model and a champion of hard work, discipline, loyalty, patriotism and good humor. Colin Powell has established an entirely new paradigm for leadership excellence. Through four U.S. presidents and countless world crises—including the current high-stakes campaign against global terror—the blunt-spoken four-star general has grown to become one of the world’s most effective, bottom-line managers.
In addition, General Powell as a true manager is courageous; from military works he always sees what could be the best way for a certain situation. He challenged everything and he makes sure that the challenges which came on him, is just a part of a trial. Let us cite some example, during the times when the US is very eager to continue the war against Iraq, Powell, although saluted to his commander in-chief, did not lay down his arms in the internal battle over Iraq. Newsweek has learned that as the Pentagon drew up its military strategy, Powell emerged from his diplomatic foxhole at the State Department to question sharply the first war plans presented by different generals of the U. S.
With this, Powell is really a brave man, he is not afraid to show his real feelings about something that he think that could not work for the betterment of the organization. Powell’s strength as a manager is shown with many works that he has done in the past until now. He has the ability to do all the things he wanted; he has been in the position because of his being forceful and effective.
Although General Powell has much strength, he also has some weaknesses which were being seen by his critics. Critics project him as a play-safe type, over cautious, indecisive, averse to risk taking and as more a bureaucrat than a soldier. Critics also said that he has never been associated with any brilliant military move or diplomatic breakthrough but this was according to his critics.
Powell’s Impact
Being a good manager, Powell uses a management style which makes other people to follow him. Harari (2002) said that “Powell doesn’t use bluster to inspire his troops. He is polite and is not interested in intimidating people. He is convinced that frightened people don’t take initiative or responsibility and that their organizations suffer as a result. The only way to accomplish a mission is through those troops entrusted to your care. It’s not you. It’s not the organization. It’s not any plan you have. At the end of the day, it’s some soldier who will go up a hill and correct your mistakes and take that hill.” Moreover, General Powell does not treat his follower as a slave, he treated them as the asset of an organization and without them the organization will not function as it must be. A good manager is someone whose troops will follow him, if only out of curiosity. And by making them, follow a manager, the manager must then create the most important aspect of a good relationship and that is trust by making sure that you as their manager care about their well-being as your own. With this a manager will have the assurance that he will be followed by his subordinates.
Lastly encouraging the heart is one of the most important missions of a true manager. A good manager has a great effect to everyone that he encounters from an ordinary to a more respectable person. People want managers they can be proud of, managers who have high standards, who have great moral courage, who have character and people who are willing to serve for everybody’s sake. In the process of becoming a manager, Powell learned not only how to inspire people to success, but also how to manage an organizational behemoth. He had responsibility for the largest health-care, training, and child-care systems on the face of the earth. These days as part of being a great manager, Powell is applying his leadership skills to helping kids who are growing up in dangerous circumstances. Through America’s Promise: The Alliance for Youth, Powell hopes to give underprivileged kids safe places away from drugs, guns, and gangs. He wants to give the kind of adult supervision and support that he had. The kind that wouldn’t even contemplate letting him fail. With this works in mind, Powell can really be considered as a great manager. He encourages the heart of many individuals, from his military years up to his civilian career. A true and a great manager indeed, Powell always think of the best that he can offer to the people and to the nation as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it has been granted that although, General Powell received some of the best training the military and the country offers, including technical, strategic, and leadership training, he still stands out from his peers as being one of the few individuals who can traverse political party lines and lead diverse individuals and organizations. Maybe it’s his gifted ability to speak or perhaps it’s his straightforward, charismatic approach. More than likely, it’s both these traits and his personal core values that resonate with so many of the people that knew him. Powell’s intelligence, endurance, and committed practice of taking personal responsibility for his actions are refreshing in today’s “blame-the-other-person” world. It has known that through his past and current actions, it can be seen that Powell is a man of principle and has the United States well being at the forefront of all his decisions. From his military days, to his civilian career up to his youth outreach programs, and now his current position in the U. S. government as the Secretary of the State, he continually spearheads the United States’ role and responsibility for helping others achieve all they want in their life. This is the true essence of servant leadership.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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