It's not surprising, then, that there have been more than twenty books written about Colin Powell, including his autobiography, My American Journey. It was during the reading of Powell's autobiography that the author, Oren Harari, discerned a "practical, mission-and-people-based leadership" that centrally characterizes Secretary Powell. Harari, a professor of management in the McLaren Graduate School of Business, University of San Francisco, identified sixteen leadership lessons espoused by Powell. These lessons were enumerated and explained by Harari in a Management Review article entitled "Quotations from Chairman Powell: A Leadership Primer." It was the wide acceptance of this article and its subsequent endorsement by Powell himself that inspired Harari to expand upon each lesson in this book. Each self-contained chapter is devoted to one of the sixteen leadership lessons, including:

Powell as Provocateur:
Know When to Piss People Off; Promote a Clash of Ideas;
The Ego Trap; Don't Go Looking for "NO"; The Chief "Dis-organizer"

Powell on Strategy and Execution
Close with the Enemy; People over Plans;
Vigilance in Details; Situational Dictates Strategy; Powell's Rules for Picking People;
Trust Those in the Trenches

The Powell Character:
The Powell Way; Optimism is a "Force Multiplier";
Take Leave when You've Earned it; Prepare for Loneliness.

The fact that the chapters are self-contained makes it possible for one to read the book in one sitting or to take it off the shelf occasionally and digest a lesson completely. The lessons are illustrated with examples, quotations and anecdotes not only from Powell's sciences but also from those of many renowned Fortune 500 business leaders. Though Powell's career experiences are entirely military and government service, the lessons transcend those contexts, and the author makes smooth transitions from the military/political arena into business perspectives.

Lessons for Extension: The book is a valuable reference for anyone interested in improving leadership skills. Colin Powell believes in listening, not just to superiors, but also to the people who serve under him; he pushes people to ask hard questions and to approach problems in creative ways. He is solution-oriented and wants answers to problems to be original, not simply tried-and-true methods.