Page 113 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

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STRUCTURING THE STAND-UP LEADERSHIP PRESENTATION
CHAPTER 6
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join in against.” Powell is equally articulate in putting America’s post-terror
attack role into historical perspective. “Our record and our history is not of
going out and looking for conflict, it is not one of undertaking pre-emptive
acts for the purpose of seizing … another people’s territory, or to impose our
will on someone else. Our history and our tradition is always one of defending
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our interests.”
As a result, after much soul-searching, Powell supported the administra-
tion’s argument on pre-emption in the Iraq war as a means of national self-
defense. Powell showed his mettle in pressing America’s case before the U.N.
in early 2003. All of Powell’s skills as a communicator, anchored in his expe-
rience as an officer and statesman, came to the fore. Armed with a presenta-
tion packed with visual support, Powell was like a prosecutor as he tore apart
Iraq’s claims that it did not harbor weapons of mass destruction, like a states-
man as he rose above the fray to present the international case, and like a sol-
dier as he stated that the United States was ready to fight. For a man once
derided by hardliners as the “Administration’s dove,” it was a presentation that
came down forcefully against an outlaw government and on the side of inter-
national security. A tough act, but vintage Powell.
Powell’s strength radiates from within. He not only speaks in complete
sentences but expresses well-founded and well-grounded thoughts. Unlike
some speakers, his speaking ability does not come merely from the use of
rhetoric or clever language; it comes from deep within him. It is almost as if
his words come from his soul. And his articulateness enables him to project
the inner strength that emanates from deeply held convictions and his bedrock
faith in his own abilities.
HIS ROOTS
The son of immigrants from Jamaica, Powell grew up in the Bronx, where he
mixed freely with different races. He acknowledges in his autobiography that
he was an indifferent student and that it was not until he joined the Army
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) that he gained his focus—and his
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bearings. He became a commissioned officer in 1958 and served two tours
in Vietnam, being wounded twice and earning a Bronze Star. He experienced
racism firsthand while serving in posts in the South. “I’ve been thrown out of
places because I was just black enough not to be served. . . . I consider myself
an African-American and proud to stand on the shoulders of those who went
before me.” 21
Powell understands the symbolism of race in his role as secretary of state:
“And it’s always a source of inspiration and joy to see [foreign leaders] look at
me and through me see my country, and see what promise my country offers
to all people who come to these shores looking for a better life.” 22