One day last month, 18,000 people gathered to hear Colin Powellgive advice. The retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffbounded onto the stage at the Rosemont Horizon to a standing ovation.But once he began to speak, everyone knew something was wrong.His face, several stories high, filled giant screens around thearena. Again and again, he had to pause to use a tissue. Theaudience watched curiously, as he dabbed at his nose, then blew itrepeatedly.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I'm having a difficult problem.I ask that you excuse me for just one moment."
The crowd offered supportive applause as he left the stage.
Did he have a bad cold? Allergies?
Backstage, the problem became clear: Powell had developed agusher of a nosebleed. Ice was administered. Tissues were jammedinto his nose. And eventually, he returned triumphantly to thestage.
"This is one of life's most embarrassing moments," he said, asthe crowd eyed the giant screens and whispered about the tissues inhis nose.
One mark of a successful man is that he's willing to overcomeunexpected adversity to achieve his goals. That was one of thelessons stressed by Powell and other celebrity speakers at thisall-day motivational marathon dubbed Success '93. Of course, thegeneral's refusal to be humbled by his nosebleed was the day's mostconcrete proof that perseverance pays off. By plugging up his noseand getting back on stage, he collected a speaker's fee in the$60,000 range.
The Success '93 tour is pulling in to arenas all over America,where sold-out crowds are paying $49 to $225 a ticket. I attendedthe seminars in Detroit and Chicago and heard presentations by heroeslike Mike Ditka, Paul Harvey, positive-thinker Zig Ziglar, Olympicprincess Mary Lou Retton, and televangelist Robert Schuller. Theiradvice, though at times a bit cliched and slogan-heavy, usually madegood sense.
Some attendees found the seminar to be more hype than help. Butmany others said they were inspired by the advice fest.
Powell closed out the program in Chicago. In Detroit, Gen. H.Norman Schwarzkopf did the honors. Both were dynamic and charming.
Powell told the story of a young second lieutenant who wanted tobe a general. The young soldier asked a wise old general for advice.
"You've got to work hard," said the general.
"I'll do that," said the young man.
"You've got to be loyal to your superiors, and be willing togive your life for your troops."
"I'll do that, too," said the second lieutenant. "But is thatit? Is that how I make general?"
"No, young man," said the general. "That's how you make firstlieutenant, and the rest comes naturally after that."
Schwarzkopf gave advice on leadership. He talked about becominga two-star general, just as his boss decided to head out of town fora month. Schwarzkopf said he panicked.
"I ran down the hallway after him," Schwarzkopf recalled. "Isaid, `Hey, I've only been here two weeks. I don't know anything.What do you want me to do?' He turned around and said `Rule 13: Whenplaced in command, take charge.' "
Good enough, Schwarzkopf said, but there were so many decisionsto be made and he was so new to the job.
"Rule 14," said his boss. " `Do what's right.' "
"Adopt these two rules," Schwarzkopf said, "and you have thesecret of 21st century leadership."
Is a secret shared with thousands of people still a secret? Nomatter. The audience adored the general, and gave him a whoopingovation. In fact, one woman stood up and asked him to run forpresident.
Schwarzkopf insisted he's not interested. "Washington is theonly place," he said, "where you can run in a straight line and stillbe at the scene of the crime."
The crowd cheered some more. Perhaps Rule 15 is "Never saynever."
Write Zazz, Box 3455, Chicago 60654.
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