Lessons from Colin Powell: Leadership Wisdom for Sport & Life Part #1
Leadership Isn’t About Being Liked … It’s About Being Trusted.
I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to have worked with a tonne of great people in many sports across the world.
However, when it comes to leadership some of the best experiences and learnings I have had are in the military (yes, I consulted to a very specialist group for 3 years… another story). Those experiences have also included reading the ideas of successful leaders. This is one of my favourites.
Lessons from General (ret.) Colin Powell: Leadership Wisdom for Sport and Life Part #1
Picture this: you're leading your family through a series of dark tunnels, and the only way they can escape and survive is if you can get them out, and you have just one flashlight. Your team depends on you to navigate them safely. That’s how Colin Powell described leadership… a mix of responsibility, decisiveness, and resilience. His insights, drawn from his military and political career, have profound applications far beyond the battlefield.
In this two-part series, we’ll explore:
1. Powell’s key lessons and how they resonate in high-pressure environments like sports. From decision-making to fostering innovation
2. Powell’s leadership principles offer a framework for managing challenges, building trust, and achieving results.
Lesson 1: Responsibility Means You’ll Upset People
Powell famously said,
“Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means some people will get angry at your actions and decisions.”
This truth hits home in sports leadership, especially post-COVID, where financial constraints and resource scarcity are common. Often, leaders hire staff who either align too closely with their views or are easy to manage…people who won’t challenge the status quo. But avoiding challenges or dissent stifles growth and problem-solving.
Strong leadership requires building an environment where diverse opinions are encouraged. A leader’s job isn’t to make everyone happy but to make tough decisions that drive the team forward.
When your decisions upset people, it’s often a sign you’re holding firm to your principles and the team’s best interests.
Lesson 2: Listen to Problems…It’s a Sign of Trust
Powell warned,
“The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you’ve stopped leading them.”
In sports, athletes, staff, and colleagues must feel safe enough to voice concerns. If they don’t, it’s a failure of leadership. People might avoid sharing issues if they’ve lost confidence in your ability to address them or think you don’t care.
Leadership isn’t just about making decisions…it’s about being the go-to person for solutions. That means fostering trust, encouraging open dialogue, and developing technical expertise so that your team knows you can guide them effectively.
Lesson 3: Decisions Are Built on Probabilities
Powell’s “P = 40-70 Rule” is legendary: “P” represents the probability of success, and decisions should be made with 40-70% of the information available.
In sports, where uncertainty is a constant, this lesson is gold. Injuries, game strategies, and training plans often come with incomplete data. Waiting for 100% certainty wastes time and opportunities.
For instance, I once worked with an athlete plagued by recurring stress fractures. Initially, the causes were unclear… was it footwear, training volume, or biomechanics? But through a bone density study, we identified a critical factor: players in the bottom 25% of bone density had a 70% risk of stress fractures under normal training loads. Armed with this probability, we adjusted the athlete’s program to mitigate risks.
The takeaway? Don’t wait for perfect information. Use the data you must to make informed decisions, communicate probabilities clearly, and act with confidence.
Lesson 4: Challenge the Experts
Powell believed that leadership thrives on questioning the status quo:
“Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.”
In sports, we often defer to research or established practices without questioning their relevance to the specific context. For example, focusing solely on vertical force production in running mechanics tells part of the story but ignores other critical factors like stride frequency or lateral stability.
Strong leaders don’t shy away from questioning these norms. They gather evidence, present alternative perspectives, and push for innovation, even when it means challenging authority or popular opinion.
Lesson 5: Details Matter… Especially When Others Are Distracted
Powell advised leaders to remain vigilant, especially when distractions abound:
“When everyone’s mind is dull or distracted, the leader must be doubly vigilant.”
In team settings, it’s easy for critical details to slip through the cracks. I’ve seen cases where players with specific injury histories were sent to train without proper preparation because “everyone knew about the issue” but no one acted on it. Neglecting these details puts both the individual and the team at risk.
Leaders must maintain focus, implement clear processes, and ensure that even the smallest details are addressed consistently.
Lesson 6: Be Bold…It’s Easier to Ask Forgiveness than Permission
Powell’s philosophy on taking initiative is simple:
“You don’t know what you can get away with until you try.”
While recklessness has no place in leadership, creative problem-solving often requires bold moves. Staying within the confines of outdated norms or rigid processes can stifle progress.
For example, when faced with a persistent team performance issue, I’ve seen leaders break away from traditional training methods and experiment with alternative schedules, recovery protocols, or data-driven innovations. The key is balancing risk with reason—take calculated leaps, not blind jumps.
Lesson 7: Look Beneath the Surface
Powell championed continuous improvement:
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is not a mantra for true leaders.
Complacency breeds stagnation.
In sports, some systems succeed despite their flaws—often due to exceptional talent rather than effective processes. But relying on outdated methods or “the way things have always been done” is a recipe for decline. Leaders must constantly review, question, and refine their systems.
This includes stepping back to analyse trends, whether it’s shifts in game strategies, advancements in recovery science, or emerging training techniques. Staying ahead of the curve requires a willingness to explore what’s around the corner, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Wrapping Up Part 1
Colin Powell’s lessons offer a roadmap for navigating leadership challenges, whether on the battlefield, in the boardroom, or on the sports field. From making tough decisions to fostering trust and innovation, his principles remind us that great leadership is equal parts courage, adaptability, and attention to detail.
In Part 2…
we’ll dive deeper into Powell’s insights, exploring how leaders can cultivate resilience, embrace change, and inspire those around them to achieve extraordinary results.
Stay tuned!
Good leadership will upset people… and that’s a good sign. — Jason Weber
