Gen. Powell's keynote speech at congress knocked my socks off. Judging from the incredible spontaneous and thunderous standing ovations at the beginning and end of his talk he knocked off a whole lot of socks. His amazing stories of military and diplomatic life and leadership lessons resonated with everyone.
But it turns out not quite everyone had the same total reaction. Walking out of the Wells Fargo Theater, I made a few observations that reminded me that people come from different places in this world, literally and figuratively. One gentleman from the United Kingdom was heard telling his U.S. friend that he didn't like the speech because some aspects of it (particularly stories about the invasion of Panama) reminded him of the United States as, in his view, an overbearing military presence in the world.
After hearing that I looked around and noticed that attendees appearing to come from Latin America were not nearly as "juiced up" as others in the audience.
In the reception afterwards, someone told me that their friend from Europe felt that the general did not have it right when he said Europe is safer now than it had ever been.
I'm a native-born U.S. citizen, I thought Gen. Powell's presence was one fo the best I had ever heard. It gave me hope; it ramped up the excitement for the congress. But I can definitely see where the feelings of non-U.S. citizens are coming from.
Even among U.S. citizens, it appeared that Gen. Powell's presence was controversial. The general had appeared on television this morning to endorse a presidential candidate; several attendees unveiled a red sign at the beginning of his talk that said, "We've lost an American hero." The attendee who told me this served in the military and was very upset by this sign, all politics aside.
Gen. Powell, however, was not fazed. He told the audience that some people may strongly agree while others may disagree with his politics, but he wanted people to weigh the options and make up their own minds.
No one can contest Gen. Powell's leadership skills and charisma. His speaking style is fabulous--he was funny and personable. But the reactions I saw afterward that were different than mine reminded me of the importance of remembering that people come from different places. For project leaders of global teams, it is always key to keep this top-of-mind and be sensitive to differences. With respect, we can all work together and learn.
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