Rudolph Giuliani\'s Management Book, Leadership

¶ … Rudolph Giuliani's Management Book, Leadership

Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, writes about management style and leadership tools in his book, aptly titled Leadership. In the book he offers many insights into what sort of good leadership skills he used to lead the city of New York through the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He also discusses leadership tools that helped him reach his position as mayor and to act effectively in his many different positions over the years. Overall, Giuliani's suggestions are good. However, in many cases they are not very original and are like other suggestions you will find in any business leadership guide.

The book both begins and ends with what happened on September 11, 2001. Giuliani's choice to use this important world event as both the beginning and end of his book was a good one. It reminds the reader that Giuliani was in the midst of some very tough situations and that he applied all of his techniques in the real world. He also shows a more human side by including his own reflections and feelings about the event.

While reading the book, it became clear that each of the chapters focused on one leadership or management tool. Chapter Two, for example, is called "First Things First" and discusses how important a morning meeting with key staff is to a man in an important position. This was an original suggestion, as many people have weekly or even monthly meetings. Of course, having a morning meeting may not be crucial for all organizations but Giuliani's point is to get regular progress reports and stay in close contact with those who work with you.

Other important chapters (and ideas) include: "everybody's accountable all the time"; "Underpromise and Overdeliver"; and "Develop and Communicate Strong Beliefs." Each of these are fairly straightforward. Giuliani included many clear examples of each behavior in work, sometimes showing himself or other politicians, like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, in perspective. He did not always use positive examples, however. Instead, sometimes he explained how he learned these tough lessons through not making the right choice.