"Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families"
About this Quote
Colin Powell couples rigor with humanity, reminding leaders that the burden of command should be sustainable and even joyful. Fun is not frivolity; it is the signal that a unit has cohesion, purpose, and confidence. When people laugh and take pride together, they recover faster from setbacks and bring more energy to the mission. A grim atmosphere does not prove seriousness; it usually reflects fear or exhaustion.
Warning against a breakneck pace, he rejects the hustle-as-virtue mindset long before it became a corporate fad. Constant urgency narrows judgment, degrades safety, and breeds burnout. Leaders set tempo whether they acknowledge it or not. If they sprint all the time, everyone else must sprint too, and performance will eventually collapse. Pacing the work, protecting white space, and enforcing rest are strategic decisions, not concessions to weakness.
Taking leave after it is earned reinforces two truths: the mission must be bigger than any one person, and well-run teams can operate without the boss. Stepping away demonstrates trust and forces delegation, which strengthens the bench and exposes weak processes. Returning with fresh perspective often prevents costly mistakes that fatigue would have concealed.
Powell’s nod to families reflects his soldier’s understanding that readiness depends on support networks. Military life strains spouses and children; acknowledging them honors the whole cost of service. In any field, people who feel anchored at home make better decisions, handle stress better, and are less likely to quit. Caring for families is not a perk but a force multiplier.
The line comes from Powell’s widely shared leadership rules, refined from Vietnam through his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and as Secretary of State, and later collected in It Worked for Me. The ethos is consistent: mission first, people always, and the two are not in conflict. Discipline and joy, urgency and rest, professionalism and humanity belong together when leaders are serious about winning over time.
Warning against a breakneck pace, he rejects the hustle-as-virtue mindset long before it became a corporate fad. Constant urgency narrows judgment, degrades safety, and breeds burnout. Leaders set tempo whether they acknowledge it or not. If they sprint all the time, everyone else must sprint too, and performance will eventually collapse. Pacing the work, protecting white space, and enforcing rest are strategic decisions, not concessions to weakness.
Taking leave after it is earned reinforces two truths: the mission must be bigger than any one person, and well-run teams can operate without the boss. Stepping away demonstrates trust and forces delegation, which strengthens the bench and exposes weak processes. Returning with fresh perspective often prevents costly mistakes that fatigue would have concealed.
Powell’s nod to families reflects his soldier’s understanding that readiness depends on support networks. Military life strains spouses and children; acknowledging them honors the whole cost of service. In any field, people who feel anchored at home make better decisions, handle stress better, and are less likely to quit. Caring for families is not a perk but a force multiplier.
The line comes from Powell’s widely shared leadership rules, refined from Vietnam through his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and as Secretary of State, and later collected in It Worked for Me. The ethos is consistent: mission first, people always, and the two are not in conflict. Discipline and joy, urgency and rest, professionalism and humanity belong together when leaders are serious about winning over time.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work-Life Balance |
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