<PAGE>   1

                                                                      EXHIBIT 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 14th day of April, 1997.



                                             /s/ Timothy F. Finley
                                             -------------------------------
                                             Timothy F. Finley
                                             Director

<PAGE>   2




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 17th day of April, 1997.



                                         /s/ Irwin N. Gold
                                         -------------------------------
                                         Irwin N. Gold
                                         Director


<PAGE>   3




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 24th day of April, 1997.



                                              /s/ Peter V. Handal
                                              -------------------------------
                                              Peter V. Handal
                                              Director


<PAGE>   4




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 16th day of April, 1997.



                                           /s/ Brian B. Smith
                                           -------------------------------
                                           Brian B. Smith
                                           President and Director


<PAGE>   5




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 24th day of April, 1997.



                                           /s/ Charles A. Ratner
                                           -------------------------------
                                           Charles A. Ratner
                                           Director


<PAGE>   6




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 24th day of April, 1997.



                                           /s/ Jeffrey A. Cole
                                           -------------------------------
                                           Jeffrey A. Cole
                                           Chairman and Chief Executive
                                           Officer and Director
                                           (Principal Executive Officer and
                                           Principal Financial Officer)