Gen. Colin L. Powell Speaks at Safelite National Meeting
February 2, 2010

Former U.S. Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) spoke during Safelite Auto Glass’s national leadership conference in Orlando, Fla., in early January.

Speaking to an audience of more than 600, Powell reflected on his transition from Secretary of State to being “just another guy,” according to a company statement. Powell revealed that his leadership strategies were ones he first learned in the infantry, including “Leaders don’t get it done, it’s the followers that get it done.”

“The essence of all leadership is to build bonds of trust among the followers and leaders so they are functioning in a relationship so you get things done,” said General Powell. “It’s all about caring for human beings. It’s all about believing in human beings—the ones that work for you and the ones that you are serving.”

Powell, the retired four-star U.S. Army general who was the nation's top diplomat during President Bush's first term, discussed how individuals can emulate the leadership skills necessary to remain focused, take responsibility and work toward improving processes within organizations. He covered strategies for practicing true leadership and motivating during times of great change while focusing on essential skills leaders share such as honesty, investing in and trusting the team and maintaining a vision.

“Leadership is one of our key initiatives in delivering extraordinary results to our customers so we wanted a guest speaker who could engage with us in the critical importance of leadership,” said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Safelite AutoGlass. “We are beyond thrilled that General Powell, one of the most admired leaders in the world, as well as a humanitarian, was able to share his methods of successful leadership.”

Powell’s speaking engagements are handled by the Washington Speakers Bureau® (WSB), according to the organization’s website. His fees vary based on location, according to the WSB. Various online sources, however, noted that his fees can sometimes soar as high as $100,000.

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