Southern Views Magazine

COLIN POWELL
Interview by  Chelsea Lipocky

Soldier. Husband. Father. General. Politician... All of these words describe Colin Powell, a man, before this interview, I only knew from television shows and college textbooks.  After learning I would be interviewing General Powell, I read his autobiography, “My American Journey,” and learned about the amazing journey of an interesting man.  General Powell grew up in the Bronx of New York as a son of Jamaican immigrant parents.  He enrolled in college with the encouragement of his family to insure a good future, but had yet to find his niche among colleagues and career paths.  It was not until he joined the ROTC program while attending the City College of New York that he found his true passion in the military.  It was through the military that General Powell trained his skills to become the leader we all know and respect today.  Although General Powell is no stranger to the Columbus area, we are excited to welcome him back on August 31, for the Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum, hosted by Columbus State University.  General Powell jokes that we interrupted his household chores when he graciously takes the time to talk to SVM about leadership, his family and living in Columbus.
We are very excited to have you in Columbus for the Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum on August 31st.  What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is all about fellowship.  It is getting a group of followers to get the job done.  The art of leadership is to achieve a common purpose, and to do this; followers must share this common purpose.  A leaders responsibility is to ensure that followers have what they need to get the job done.  A leader must show they are in control with discipline so people take them seriously. 

Is there anyone in particular that has influenced the way you utilize leadership in your life?

I think when people ask me this question they expect me to rattle off names of some general or president, but to tell you the truth, it is really my parents and family that have had the most influence on me.  I was also influenced by the junior officers that I met early in my career, captains and majors in Fort Benning.  In the field we learned at a retail level to prepare how to take care of each other.  What you learn about leadership comes early in life, and then you train those skills later.  I have completed the highest level of military schooling where I continued to train my leadership skills.

I understand you spent time in Fort Benning both in the late 1950’s during your Basic Infantry Training and a few years later for Infantry Officer’s Advanced Course while starting your family.  How did living in the Columbus area impact your life?

I arrived in Columbus in 1963 after my first tour in Vietnam with my wife and our first-born Michael, who was born while I was serving in Vietnam.  We lived in Phenix City for a few months before moving to government housing on the post.  We were there from 1963-1967, at a time of segregation and transition in America.  I remember being thrown out of a drive-in hamburger joint on Victory Drive and of the difficulty on finding a place my family could live before moving on post.  Segregation was not only a burden on blacks, but also on whites that knew better.   Since then, a lot of progress has been made, but we still need to work hard so every last vestige of discrimination is removed for all people. 

How do you think your family and cultural identity affected your journey the most?

I came into the army at a time when it succeeded in desegregating itself, but at a time when the country had not.  The Army told me to ‘just perform.’  They didn’t care about my immigrant parents or that I was living in the Bronx.  I learned to see first through the prism of performance.  When I became Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, people would ask how it felt to be the first black Chairmen.  I would respond that I am just the first chairman that happens to be black.  Never the less, I never step away from being black or shy away from my culture. 

When you decided to stay in the military and pursue it as a career, what was your family’s reaction?

At first they were a little puzzled, scratching their heads at he idea.  My family in New York became professional; doctors, lawyers, businessmen.  I was expected to go into the military for a few years then come out and pursue a career, but I discovered this was my passion, not to mention I wasn’t too great at the rest of my college studies.  The hardest ones to convince were my aunts.  Once I told them that I would get a pension at the age of 41, they quickly warmed up to the idea and everything would be okay.  My family was always supportive of me.  My mom was there for my promotion, my father had already passed away at the time, but she was very proud.    

In your opinion, what is the best thing about living in America?

There are opportunities here that do not exist anywhere else.  We fight with each other, but we have a remarkable ability to solve problems in an orderly manner.  Despite the issues we face, we are still the hope and inspiration to the rest of the world.  I look at American cities and see the diversity as the source of strength for this country.  When people say America is not as good as it used to be, I think about all the people across the world that are still lining up to come here.  

You are obviously a busy man.  What do you like to do in your free time?

My wife and I are very public people.  We go to all the events we have to, but when we don’t, we prefer to stay at home.  We really enjoy and value our privacy.  I like to read, work on cars, and do chores around the house.  This morning I was pressure-washing the lawn furniture and the first thing to interrupt me was you guys.  Other than that we love spending time with our children and grandchildren.  We have three children, Michael, former chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission, Linda, an actress and Annemarie, a producer for ESPN.

Last question.  How would you describe yourself in three words?

A good guy. svm