Never let your ego get so close to your position that if… — Colin Powell | Printable Wall Art

“Never let your ego get so close to your position that if your position falls, your ego goes with it.”

Words by Colin Powell (1937-2021) — U.S. Secretary of State, four-star general.

About this quote

Good leaders separate their personal identity from their opinions or professional roles. If you tie your pride to a specific plan or title, changing course feels like personal failure. By keeping your self-worth distinct from your current stance, you remain free to accept new evidence, admit mistakes, and adapt quickly when circumstances change without suffering a devastating loss of confidence.

This principle is one of Colin Powell’s well-known rules for leadership. It appeared in his 1995 memoir, My American Journey, and was later featured in his 2012 book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership.

People often hang this in a home office or study as a reminder to stay adaptable and objective.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 18 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Tracked Caps Unsigned · Editorial Justified

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.