HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING The Winning Viewpoint.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Cord Cooper

1 Colin Powell's leadership philosophy? "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier." Simply put: A leader's confidence, hope and enthusiasm multiply as they infuse others.

Powell and other great leaders display "an attitude that says "We can change things here, we can achieve awesome results, we can be the best,' " executive trainer Oren Harari writes in "The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell" (McGraw-Hill, 2002).

Throughout his career, Powell has achieved great things against great odds. He owes much of his success, he says, to these principles.

Make optimism an organizational priority. People become more optimistic, Harari says, if three conditions exist: If they're involved and informed, have the authority and power to act and are committed to a vision. Powell has always ensured those conditions for the people he leads.

"Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision." Powell's statement says that great missions propelled by optimism can steamroll through negative odds.

Great leaders use "negative facts" as warnings, not dead-end signs. "They often choose to reject "facts' that tell them they can't succeed," Harari said.