Collection 5: "In Life and Leadership" by Colin Powell

12 words 368 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. union
    an employee organization that bargains with an employer
    When I was eighteen I became eligible to get a union card, which meant I could get a full-time summer job with better pay (I continued to work at Sickser’s during the Christmas season).
  2. foreman
    a person who exercises control over workers
    After a few weeks, the foreman noticed my work and asked if I’d like to try driving a Coke truck.
  3. claustrophobic
    uncomfortably closed or hemmed in
    “Wall Street,” he said, and my heart skipped a beat as I imagined navigating the narrow streets and alleys of the oldest, most claustrophobic, and most mazelike part of New York City.
  4. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
    My supervisor was white-knuckled with worry that I would deliver 150 cases onto the street as the old truck leaned precariously at corners I was taking much too fast.
  5. pallet
    a portable platform for storing or moving goods
    I just wanted work for the summer, and I worked hard, mopping up syrup and soda that had spilled from overturned pallets.
  6. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    He agreed, and next summer I worked on the bottling machine and as a pallet stacker, a more prestigious and higher-paying job.
  7. infantry
    an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot
    On my second tour in Vietnam, I was assigned as an infantry battalion executive officer, second in command, in the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).
  8. battalion
    an army unit consisting of a headquarters and companies
    On my second tour in Vietnam, I was assigned as an infantry battalion executive officer, second in command, in the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal).
  9. priority
    status established in order of importance or urgency
    Doing your best for your boss doesn’t mean you will always like or approve of what he wants you to do; there will be times when you will have very different priorities from his.
  10. awol
    absent without leave
    In some of my units my superiors put an intense focus on reenlistment rates, AWOL rate, and saving bonds participation.
  11. decisive
    characterized by resoluteness and firmness
    Instead I worked hard to accomplish the tasks they set as quickly and decisively as I could.
  12. noble
    having high or elevated character
    At these events, I always emphasize, especially to youngsters, that 99 percent of work can be seen as noble.
Created on Mon Jun 15 08:48:11 EDT 2020 (updated Wed Jun 17 11:06:55 EDT 2020)

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