After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, most Americans and millions of other people around the world came to regard Rudy Giuliani as a great leader. Steady under pressure, saddened but unyielding, always appearing calm and in control, Giuliani kept his city and much of the nation reassured during those first harrowing hours. But the reality is that Giuliani had established himself as an impressive big-city mayor and a remarkably adept manager long before the events of that fateful day.
As it turned out, in the months before the terrorist attack, Giuliani had begun working on a book that would capture his management style a nuts-and-bolts guide to the approach that enabled him to wrest control of New York’s $40 billion budget and transform it from a crime-wracked, economically depressed big city to a shining example of urban reform. After Sept. 11, interest in Giuliani grew exponentially, and it appears likely that his newfound popularity will bring a well-deserved readership to his crisp and authoritative new book, titled simply <B>Leadership</B>.
Written in a blunt and straightforward style reminiscent of the man himself, <B>Leadership</B> allows the reader to peek over Giuliani’s shoulder as he goes about the day-to-day work of managing New York City. Giuliani focuses on 14 key mandates from Prepare Relentlessly to Stand Up To Bullies and gives examples of how he employed each one. Under the category of First Things First, Giuliani details his use of a daily morning staff meeting and explains how it was crucial to the success of his crime-fighting program, and much later, to the recovery effort after 9/11. Lively yet practical, the book should be required reading for every governmental manager, and anyone else trying to lead an organization, large or small.
Giuliani’s book is also notable for his recollections of the events of Sept. 11. One can imagine historians of some future era turning to these pages for an eyewitness account of history in the making. Giuliani describes how he rushed to the World Trade Center immediately after learning of the attack and was stunned to see victims jumping from the towers. Grabbing the arm of Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, he remembers saying, We’re in uncharted waters now. We’re going to have to make up our response. Giuliani’s response, as we would later learn, would inspire a nation and help to resurrect the city he was elected to lead.
