It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership — A General's Hard-Won Leadership Playbook

Look, I'll be honest - I grabbed this one expecting the audiobook equivalent of a corporate training PowerPoint. Four-star general, Secretary of State, "Thirteen Rules" plastered on his desk? Sounded like it could've been a LinkedIn post stretched into seven hours.

I was wrong. Really wrong.

The Bronx Kid Who Became Secretary of State

Here's what got me: Powell doesn't start with the Pentagon or the White House. He starts with shipping Pepsi bottles as a teenager in the South Bronx. Working at a baby furniture store. Getting his first suit. These aren't throwaways - they're the foundation of everything that comes after. And when he tells these stories himself, in that measured, no-BS voice of his, you believe every word.

The "Thirteen Rules" thing sounds gimmicky until you actually hear them. "Get mad, then get over it." "Share credit." "It can be done." Simple? Sure. But Powell backs each one with stories that stick. Like delegating a presidential briefing to two junior aides because he trusted them - and then watching them nail it. That trust-your-people philosophy runs through Extreme Ownership too, though the SEALs frame it more around decentralized command. Or the time he learned that checking on the lowest-ranking person in the room tells you more about an organization than talking to the CEO.

This is basically management consulting but from someone who actually led 1.4 million people. Extreme Ownership has that same boots-on-the-ground credibility—military leaders who actually did the thing, not consultants theorizing about it. The ROI on this audiobook is solid if you're in any kind of leadership role. Or honestly, if you just want to understand what makes organizations work.

Powell Narrating Powell

So here's the thing about author-narrated audiobooks - they're usually a gamble. Writers aren't voice actors. But Powell? He's one of those rare exceptions. His delivery is exactly what you'd expect from someone who briefed presidents: clear, direct, no wasted words. There's a warmth there too, especially when he talks about his family or soldiers he served with.

Is it dramatic? No. He's not doing character voices or theatrical pauses. But that actually works here. When Powell tells you about a lesson he learned, it sounds like a mentor talking to you over coffee, not a performer reading a script. The authenticity is the point.

Now - and I'm just being real here - some listeners found his style a bit... lecture-y. One review straight up called it "mansplaining," which, okay, I can see how a four-star general telling you how to live might land that way for some people. But for me? On a 6 AM Caltrain surrounded by other half-dead commuters, his steady voice was actually kind of grounding. Like a calm dad giving you life advice you didn't know you needed.

The Stuff That Sticks

The leadership tips themselves aren't revolutionary. You've probably heard versions of "take care of your people" and "be yourself" before. But Powell earns the right to say them. When he talks about respect, he's talking about visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed. When he says "do your best - someone is watching," he's remembering a summer job where the owner noticed his work ethic and wrote him a recommendation for ROTC.

The humor surprised me too. There's a lightness to his storytelling that I wasn't expecting from someone with his resume. He doesn't take himself too seriously, which makes the serious moments hit harder.

What didn't work? Some sections felt like they could've been tighter. And if you're looking for deep dives into controversial decisions - like the UN speech on Iraq - you won't find that here. This is a book about principles, not political autopsy. That's either a feature or a bug depending on what you want.

Perfect For: Train, Gym, Light Focus Work

I finished this in about 5 commutes. At 1.25x speed (Powell speaks deliberately, so you can bump it up), it's an easy listen. Clean audio, no production weirdness. The chapters are self-contained enough that you can pause and pick up without losing the thread.

Who's this for? Anyone in a leadership role who wants practical wisdom from someone who actually led at the highest levels - not theory, but lived experience. Skip it if you need high-energy narration or groundbreaking new frameworks. Also skip if you want political deep-dives; that's not what this is.

Would I listen again? Probably not cover to cover. But I've already bookmarked a few chapters to revisit when I'm dealing with team stuff at work. That's the mark of a useful book - it becomes a reference, not just a one-time experience.

Seven Hours Well Deployed

Powell passed away in 2021, which adds a weight to hearing him tell his own story. There's something valuable about having this in his voice, in his words. It's not just a leadership book. It's a document of how one person tried to live with integrity in some of the most high-stakes situations imaginable.

And honestly? That's worth seven hours.