Product Description

Rudolph W. Giuliani is the denitive American leader. His management and decision-making skills have proven to be outstanding through his two terms as mayor of New York City and his years as U.S. Attorney at the Justice Department. And on September 11, 2001, Giuliani emerged as Americas steadiest hand, leading the city and the nation through the worst domestic disaster in our history.In Leadership, Giuliani gives readers a minute-by-minute account of his actions and decisions in the aftermath of the disaster and shares the principles of leadership that proved so reliable and effective during the most testing of times.Whether dealing with a catastrophe, or with the many problems large and small that afict a great city on a daily basis; whether addressing New Yorks $40 billion budget or issues of infrastructure; whether handling complicated human issues or assembling a brilliant team, Giuliani has relied on a systematic and methodical approach that can work for any manager, in any sized business.Refreshingly honest, full of powerful stories and compelling examples, Leadership is Giulianis own guide to the essential principles that have sustained him throughout his extraordinary career.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #167941 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 407 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This highly anticipated book from New York's once controversial, now beloved former mayor opens with a gripping account of Giuliani's immediate reaction to the September 11 attacks, including a narrow escape from the original crisis command headquarters, and closes with the efforts to address the aftermath during his remaining four months in office. But, he argues, he did not suddenly become a great leader on September 11, and "had been doing [my] best to take on challenges my whole career." The bulk of the book draws on his experiences as a corporate lawyer and U.S. attorney and then as mayor. The leadership principles he champions preparation, accountability and strong self-definition chief among them come as no surprise, but the stories he uses as examples are filled with vivid scenes and organized with a veteran trial lawyer's flair for maximum effect. Apart from a few childhood anecdotes, he shies away from his personal life and recalls his abandoned Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton only as one factor in his decisions about dealing with prostate cancer. Throughout, he displays the hands-on management that marked his administration, including his willingness to respond swiftly and in person to crises, to prove that he could be relied on when the city needed him most. While some critics found his style too aggressive, he has an effective counterargument: "Before September 11, there were those who said we were being overly concerned [about security]," he observes. "We didn't hear that afterwards..
-," he observes. "We didn't hear that afterwards."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Through much of his tenure as mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani was a controversial figure whose personal weaknesses often overshadowed his political strengths. After September 11, however, the world focused on Giuliani's ability to lead with courage and controlled emotion. In LEADERSHIP, Giuliani demonstrates through vivid, practical examples how he used an aggressive, hands-on management style to deal with everything from petty crime to terrorism. Tony Roberts infuses Giuliani's words with grace and tempered emotion and revels in his take-charge style. Although, at times, Roberts sounds more like a performer than the former mayor/prosecutor, he succeeds in conveying Giuliani's confidence, tenacity, and courage. Giuliani reads the book's introduction with passion, making the listener wonder why he didn't read all of his inspiring words. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Info
Rudolph Giuliani demonstrates how the leadership skills he practices can be employed successfully by anyone who has to run anything. Opens with a gripping account of Giuliani's immediate reaction to the September 11 attacks, including a narrow escape from the original crisis command headquarters, and closes with the efforts to address the aftermath during his remaining tenure.

Customer Reviews

Don't confuse leadership with management
First off, don't get me wrong this is an interesting book. From the man who helped a city recover from a dreadful event; he is an inspiration.

Also, Giuliani is a fantastic *manager*, who was able to get the city of New York running better than it had for years.

My main criticism is the title, and the derivations of some of the anecdotes. From my reading, Giuliani doesn't clearly understand the difference between *leadership* and *management*.

Sure, he has a great technique for aiding communication, for setting KPIs and ensuring they are met. But these are management tasks, not leadership.

My greatest disappointment with this book was hoping to find some of his ideas and insights into that much harder topic of leadership but all I got were some great ideas on how to manage a city (a city that has a population greater than my entire country...).

So, buyer beware! This is an interesting book and gives you some insight into the man (even if you need to read between the political lines) but don't expect a book on Leadership!

A Must Read!
Can a textbook be delightfully written? This one is. Authors Richard L. Hughes, Robert C. Ginnett, and Gordon J. Curphy explore every aspect of leadership and smoothly weave research conclusions into the narrative. Examples abound, from Colin Powell to Walt Disney. The authors are all psychologists who specialize in leadership issues. They have written conversationally and intelligently, using plenty of sidebar material (even famous cartoons) to bring their reporting to life. We recommend this classic (now in its third edition) to everyone interested in leadership.

I Laughed. I Cried. I Marvelled.
I listened to all of the ten audio cassette tapes. The presentation was both instructive and entertaining. The narration was great. I resonated with the message such that I laughed, cried, and marvelled through the many precepts and stories given. I got moist around the eyes while vicariously experiencing the beauty of courage, conviction, and of successfully overcoming great obstacles in the path to great accomplishment. The accomplishments of Mayor Giuliani's administration in NYC were many. Within the stories were principles related to the importance of hiring excellent people, management by morning meetings, management by metrics, being at the scene of problems. For lawyers, the book includes more than a few great insights.

Primary among the many great stories is the Mayor's references to September 11, 2001. This occupies all of chapter 1 but the stories continue throughout. One of the early delights in the book is the story of overcoming the "squeegee men" panhandlers in New York City. Chapter headings related to "Be Prepared", "Loyalty" and "Stand Up To Bullies" deliver what they promise. I marvelled that the loyalty stories related primarily to loyalty down to the people who work for you. The story about Rudy's fight with prostate cancer was remarkable for the example that it gave of great diligence in gathering information and making a careful decision. The book, as read, is clear and concise. Every word seems to count. In my experience, Rudy began to earn his reputation long before he was Mayor when we worked to obtain convictions and strong sentences against organized crime bosses.

The precepts and examples are admirable. It's Rudy's own account, but it is clear that Mr. Giuliani has given great diligence to his work while showing great insight, great commitment to principle, great courage.