Page 125 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows

THE LESSONS

readiness report,” Powell recalled. “So I learned how to communicate as a
young major for the purpose of keeping 200 second lieutenants awake.
That’s where I got my basic training, and I just sort of learned on the job.
As I went through the rest of my career, I was constantly being pressed to
communicate. I learned what works and what doesn’t work. I learned how
to use stories and gestures, how to put a simple message together, and how
to take complex issues and break them down in ways that average people
can understand. You can’t be afraid to stand up and speak in front of peo-
ple, because that’s how you learn. You’ll stumble and you’ll mumble, but
you’ll gain confidence and you’ll do fine in due course. In my early years I
really bombed on a few presentations, but I learned.”
Conde said that Powell gave him the same advice, encouraging him to
practice and prepare. “He said not to fool myself into thinking that the
best speakers don’t prepare. They all prepare, but he said that the most
effective are the ones that can communicate their message with a conver-
sational tone,” said Conde. “He felt that the strongest public speakers were
those who used their notes in a smooth, nondistracting way. Some of the
best communicators have the ability to look down at their notes and digest
the whole page with only a glance, whereas most people would have to look
at a page three to five times. Everyone has his or her own style, but the
best speakers work hard to fully develop their personal style and make it
seamless.”
During his Fellowship, Conde also had the chance to watch how Pow-
ell prepared for and carried out one-on-one meetings. He was impressed
with how much time his principal devoted to meeting with people at all
levels both within the State Department and outside it. Powell did not just
meet with the CEO of an organization or the head of a foreign govern-
ment or entity. He talked to people with a variety of different responsibil-
ities and viewpoints. He used his finely honed communication skills to dig
deep into organizations, and although the meetings or telephone conver-
sations he had were often brief, they broadened the scope of the informa-
tion he received and helped him make well-informed decisions. “He was
approachable, but he was very demanding. He was extremely effective at
those initial meetings with someone who was about to work with him,”
Conde explained. “He was very good at giving you direction as to how to
succeed with him. In my particular case, he gave me great advice on how
to be successful with him in the White House Fellowship year.”

110