reagan & powell

8/6/2019 Reagan & Powell

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Running head: President Reagan and General Powell 1

President Reagan and General Powell

James R. Perrin

Leading the Organization I

12 March 2011

To: Dr. James Rairdon

National American University

By submitting the following written assignment:

I certify that: I am the sole author of the following written assignment; I prepared the assignment

specifically for this course; I properly cited all sources of information; and I conducted and

referenced all research in accordance with the current APA Publication Manual. I acknowledge

and agree that my assignment may be submitted to an external service to determine the

originality of the work and that it shall be subject to the terms and conditions of such service. I

further acknowledge that I am subject to the academic integrity policies and procedures set forth

in the university catalogs.

Signature: James R. Perrin //s// 12 March 2011


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President Reagan and General Powell2

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. In 1937 a chance

screen test set him on a path to Hollywood where he appeared in 53 films. In 1966 and again in

1970 he was elected Governor of California. In 1980 he was overwhelmingly elected as the 40th

President of the United States, (http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ronaldreagan/).

Reagan was a optimist that truly believed that America was and is a shining city on a

hill. His optimism was contagious and became a way of life for the white house staff. This

was not a campaign promise or lip service, rather a way of life for Rawhide. As far back as

1952, in a speech to the students at William Woods College, Reagan touted that America is the

promise land. He further said,

[America] was set here and the price of admission was very simple: the means of

selection was very simple as to how this land should be populated. Any place in the

world and any person from those places; any person with the courage, with the desire to

tear up their roots, to strive for freedom, to attempt and dare to live in a strange and

foreign place, to travel halfway across the world was welcome here,"(Enzi, 2011)

Reagan knew there was no place in the world as special as America. Our freedoms and

liberties are coveted by others around the world. Many lust to experience the way of American

life by either attempting to come to the US or by setting up a similar governments in their own

lands. Reagan appreciated these freedoms to the point that he professed the US must continue to

be a beacon of these freedoms for the world to follow, (Enzi, 2011).

Once elected President, the Reagan Revolution began. The Reagan Revolution was

aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt


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he had tofulfill his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore "the great, confident roar of American

progress and growth and optimism," (Enzi, 2011).

Reagan comments in his inaugural address, "Government is not the solution to our

problem. Government is the problem." With those words he started a revolution. His rock-solid

commitment to American values was his cornerstone. His integrity and courage were renowned.

His decisions to fire the Air Traffic Controllers and to protect Americans by going to a strategy

of defense rather than offense were earthshaking and still talked about today, 20+ years later.

Reagan was not afraid to make his own decisions, even going against advisors, if he thought it

was right for the country. As Reagan faced criticism on his Star Wars initiative, he stood

strong even in the face of over whelming criticism from respected senators and nuclear

strategists. Reagan believed in his cornerstone and that he was obligated to always be straight

with Americans. His straight talk instilled a confidence by the public allowing him to make

change happen, (McFarlane, 2011).

Colin Luther Powell was born April 5, 1937 in Harlem, NY, to immigrant parents. While

at City College of New york he joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps and was

commissioned as an Army second lieutenant in June 1958. He served as a professional solider

for 35 years, rising to the rank of general. In 1989 he was namedas the 12th Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2000 President Bush appointed Powell as the 65th Secretary of State.

(http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Colin_Powell).

Powell brought a new approach to military conflicts. His view was to maximize the

potential for success and minimize the casualties. One of the main components of his approach

was to use overwhelming force. This was seen in practical application during Operation Desert


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Storm in 1991 when US forces quickly overwhelmed Iraqi forces and put down Saddam

Husains uprising. Powells approach has been named the Powell Doctrine, (Lowry, 2010).

Powells leadership beliefs are similar to many leaders, except for one major difference;

Powell believed in a hidden foundation that is required to stabilize any leader. Without a strong

foundation leadership is bound to fail like those of Enron (Harari and Brewer, 2004). While

Enron leadership had strong leadership qualities, they lacked a solid foundation to build on and

when things started to fall apart the foundation was not there to aid in firming up the slipping

corporation.

Both Reagan and Powell had change on their minds as they took their respective posts.

They were committed to change. Their passion and commitment became contagious and spread

like a virus thought their respective organizations and throughout the country. Reagan was one

of the most beloved and most successful Presidents in history; Powell was asked to run for

President, but due to family concerns, politely declined. Both attacked the problems they faced

on several fronts. Both started training programs for leadership. Another strong leadership

principle that both shared was dont make promises that you cannot keep, (Harris, 2004).

Powell started a cultural change in the State Department though tangible, manageable

steps. This is the same type of ideals that he used as a soldier:

"You make clear what you're trying to accomplish; you make clear the mission; you get

the resources needed for that mission; and you take care of the people, since they are the

ones who must accomplish the mission. You do everything you can to empower them to

get the job done," (Harris, 2004).


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One of the many stays in Powells ideas is to allow his subordinates to think on their feet, make

decisions based on the current situation and gave constructive direction when needed.

Powell chose the battles that he could win and left those that he initially could not win

until he had won the small battles, creating a beachhead on which to fight the bigger battles. One

of the biggest changes that he had to overcome was to change the way folks thought at State.

The State Department had the reputation of a bunch of aloof, arrogant individuals that were

unwilling to work with Congress. One of his first meetings with undersecretaries was where the

change was implemented. His first comments were, We dont make promises we cannot keep!

Another was, When some committee calls you, you say, 'I'll be right there/not can't do it, I'm

rearranging my sock drawer. He knew that by making strong and supportive relationships with

Congress would pay off, (Harris, 2004).

Both Reagan and Powell used a foundation of unwavering ideals that they used in all

facets of their lives, political, leadership, military and personal lives. Both were true to these

ideals and while both would listen to advisors and take note of their recommendations, both were

true to their heart and made decisions based on all the information that they had at hand.

Because both were true to themselves and worked tirelessly for the American people, the people

in return, fell in love with them and were supportive of their ideals and programs. Reagan is one

of the most effective Presidents in the 20th century. Powell was one of the most effective

military leaders ever.

Change, communication and strategy all played into Reagan and Powells success. Both

found that it was time for change in the organizations that they headed. Both communicated the

ideals and path that they wanted to follow. Both were committed to the change and kept this


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commitment true to the end. Both refined the strategy as needed, keeping it a living entity that

would change and grow as needed to bring, to fruition, the strategy they felt was needed at the

time.

Powell brought the military into the powerhouse that it is today. Empowerment, care for

your people, communication and support were things that have been talked about in the past, but

Powell made them the foundation of the new military. Reagan saw that there was a need for

change, communicated the need and the plan to the American people and stayed true to his plan,

keeping the people informed as much as possible. These pillars allowed the public to get

onboard and cause sweeping change.

Both had the love of a strong family and valued it highly. Both depended on that family

support. The pressures of the day to day grind are tacking and weigh heavy on each of them.

Strong family values and an equally strong determination were the conscientious guide for both.

Their strong convictions kept them true to their ideals and the desire to make major change to the

folks that they lead, be it the country of an agency. Both of them were leaders that learned and

grew as they matured. Both held true to values that they learned as young men and did not let

outside entities deviate them from their path.

President Reagan and the Honorable Powell have been held in high esteem by the public

and are held in awe by me. With the influences, possibility for corruption, huge sums of money

and opportunities that were afforded them, it takes a strong man to not be wavered from their

ideals. Neither of these men, while they may have been tempted, wavered or branched from the

path they choose for themselves. In todays world, I think either could come back and make


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inroads and changes that affect the path of America that were as substantial as they made in there

time. They were true leaders then and would. We need leaders like again today!


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REFERENCES

Boehner, J. (2011). Speaker John Boehner honors President Reagan in essay for USA Today.

Congressional Documents and Publications. Lanham: January 24, 2011

Enzi, M. B. (2011). Remembering Ronald Reagan: Statement of Senator Michael B. Enzi.

CongressionalDocuments and Publications.Lanham: February 4, 2011

Harari, O. & Brewer, L. (2004). If Colin Powell had commanded Enron: The hidden

foundation of leadership. Financial Times Handbook of Management.Upper Saddle

River, NY: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.

Harris, S.(2004). Colin Powell's leadership style.Executive Excellence, 21(11), 6-7.

Lowry, J. E. (2010) Givetwo cheers for our presumptive victory in Iraq.Wall Street

Journal (Eastern Edition), p. A.16.

McFarlane, R. (2011). Three qualities that made Reagan great. Wall Street Journal (Eastern

Edition), p. A.15.

Noem, K. (2011). Weekly column: Reagan's optimism still needed :Rep. Noem, Kristi news

release. Congressional Documents and Publications.Lanham: February 7, 2011