I really like this book! Very interesting to read through the thought processes of this man.

One of the best books on preparing for leadership I've read in a long time.

This has been sitting on my shelf since college, when I had the priveledge of hearing Mr. Giuliani speak. I'm enjoying his tales from his time as "Mayor of America" immensely as well as learning a lot about strong leadership. Not a trite, you've-heard-it-all-before read.

I'm only sorry I waited this long to pick it up.

I have this book for a while and with the 9-11 15th anniversary, I decided to read it. It showcases the events of 9-11 and proves to the world how things get done by a good leader. If you aspire to be a leader, this is a great book to read, study and get inspiration from. Qualities like loyalty, accountability and hardworking are keys to proper management be it a big city or a small group. Rudolph Giuliani has all these qualities. For all that he accomplished during his term as mayor of New York and his management of the crisis after 9-11, he deserves to be the Time Person of the Year in 2001.

Great book on leadership. Different area of work but very like many of Jack Welch book on his principals of leadership at GE. Makes me wonder why Rudy did not do well in Pres primary race. Also makes me wonder how NY could recently elect their new guy

I great book to read, I am not intrested in US politics or his side in politics. What made this book a great book to read is how he reduced crimes in NY dow more than 60%. For me that is the power of good system or good software system. Everyone in any goverment, health care and etc. should learn from this book

Bom livro, mas um pouco desorganizado na forma de tratar os assuntos.
É motivador, desafiante, e didático, mas poderia ter sido melhor organizado no que tange aos temas, As vezes temos uma sensação de gangorra, onde os assuntos mudam sem esgotar-se e depois de um tempo se volta aos mesmos.
Todavia recomendo para quem gostar de ler sobre liderança.

I picked up this book right around the time Giuliani was announcing his run for president, and it reads much in the same way. Seems anyone with sights on the highest office likes to come out with a book (to "lay a little groundwork") before the big show. McCain and Obama are no different. The read is easy, and moves from chapter to chapter fluidly. The most compelling parts are the events of 9/11 and the decisions faced during the day and the aftermath that followed. The Leadership aspect doesn't reveal anything different from any other book on the subject. The principles are "surround yourself with the best people you can find and hold them accountable; be true to yourself and to your values; and study/learn/prepare relentlessly." Partisan politics aside (the Left often chides the book as self-aggrandizing fluff that conveniently avoids his personal foibles), I recommend it if you're into personal development or have an interest in politics.

Leadership Guliani

Know the basics of how stuff works, just don't get mired in the details:

Knowing the small details of a large system leaves a leader open to charges of micromanaging. But understanding how something works is not only a leader's responsibility; it also makes him or her better able to let people do their jobs. If they don't have to explain the basics of what they need and why they need it every time they request more funds or different resources, then they are freer to pursue strategies beyond simply spending what they're given.
P. 46


Early decisive victories over things you can clearly control.

Whenever I start a small endeavor, I looked to have a clear, decisive victory as early as I could. It needn't have been a large initiative, and, in fact, was usually better if the problem was small enough so that it was easily understood and yielded an unambiguous solution.
P.40


Never assume, always prepare

As my own career progressed, I realized that preparation--thus eliminating the need to make assumptions--was the single most important key to success. Leaders may possess brilliance, extraordinary vision, fate, even luck. Those help; but no one, no matter how gifted, can perform without careful preparation, thoughtful experiment, and determined follow-through. P. 52

Clear accountability, easily understood and traceable.


All enterprises benefit from increased accountability. Naturally, there are difficulties in the way agencies achieve it. A corporation might not want to share its internal performance numbers widely, lest people who leave that information to a competing firm. In corporate America, at the core of many recent high profile Business collapses was a failure of accountability throughout top management. There will be endless debate over the specifics of "what went wrong" at these companies. What they share in common, however, is a refusal at the top to accept resonsibility for mistakes. "I don't understand this or that accounting procedure" is not a valid excuse--it's the duty of a leader to understand. If a chief executive cannot understand his own enterprise, he must become better informed, or consider the very real possibility that the accounting technique really is too complicated and ought to be replaced by one that's more transparent. P.91


Fact based decision making is critical, but don't be a robot


Important, complicated decisions require both statistical analysis and intuition. Statistics can provide the necessary data, but unless you apply your own intuition, gathered from your own experience, you a just a computer spitting out formulas. P. 154

You are the executive, execute!

...the leader should go ahead and lead--not in an arrogant way, and not without abundant input from others. But the fact is, a leader who fails to act until every group is heard from, every concern addressed, every lawsuit resolvedis a leader who's abdicating his responsibility. P.164

Don't tolerate people who are just there to create selfish disruptions. If it is for the good of the whole, great, if not root it out.

However, there is a line between spirited discourse and hijacking an open meeting for selfish purposes.We had some contentious meetings, with yelling and screaming and demonstrating. One time, a group handcuffed themselves to chairs, and had to be removed. So from the beginning I established a rule: you can ask any question you want. I will let you complete your question. I will not interrupt you, no matter how angry and upset I get. In exchange, you have to listen to my answer respectfully, without interrupting. And if don't, you are first warned, then thrown out, because I won't let you disrupt the other 400 people there. P.246


Don't leave it up to the experts

Any good leader must develop a substantive base. No matter how talented your advisors and deputies, you have to attack challenges with as much a your own knowledge as possible. That does not mean a mayor must know more about disease than his health commissioner or more about the intricacies of municipal finance than his budget director. The head of a restaurant company might not be a master chef, and plenty of airline executives are not qualified pilots, let alone mechanics or baggage handlers. But a leader should have independently acquired understanding of the areas he oversees. Anybody who's going to take on a large organization must put time aside for deep study. P.290

Don't let emotions carry the day, but don't be afraid to show your feelings.

From my early childhood days, I had trained myself to control my emotions when others became emotional. My father had always told me to remain calm in a crisis. As others around me got excited, he said, staying deliberately calm would help me figure out the right answers. When a crisis occurred, it was my job to lead people t rough it. That certainly didn't mean I didn't have feelings. Of course I did. And it didn't mean I couldn't show what I was feeling. Of course I could.Leaders are human, and it actually helps the people you lead to realize that. P. 361

Guliani is a great storyteller, and it was interesting to read how he chose to do hard things that would force him to improve. For example, he went to work for a judge that would work him really hard but make him great. He also practiced and practiced his public speaking and debating ability. Good to see that someone can work hard on those things and gain ability there. He's also incredible with names, something I'm working on.
I don't plan to organize anything exactly as he did, but reading about how much planning and effort he put into running New York inspired me to try many different ideas about organizing things I'm responsible for, and motivating people, like my kids, and gave me hints as to tactics to accomplishing things in a way that they will be effective.
The stories he tells -- 9/11, Federal Prosecution of the Mob, 9/11, his lost and won elections, 9/11, beating up bullies as a kid, 9/11, throwing Arafat out of a UN Concert he wasn't invited to, and 9/11 -- make it interesting enough to get through some of the less exciting details of planning meetings. The 9/11 parts are very heroic and exciting to read and remember, several of the contemporary biographies I've recently read tell what they did that day, and its good to learn from their responses.
I highly recommend this to everyone who aspires to improve their leadership and management skills.

I have heard some great things about Giuliani, but this book made me believe all that I have heard. Giuliani's style of leadership while mayor is a great example for all of us learning the basics. He has set his course and kept to it. He knows what works for him and gives us the breakdown. Not that his course will always fit our own style of leadership, but it provides some great points to remember. At times, I felt myself reading an election bid for President. If he did run I would seriously consider him since I now feel that I have a better understanding of how he would take charge.

Reading "Leadership" by Rudolph Giuliani was a truly eye-opening experience for me. Giuliani's insights into the qualities necessary for effective leadership, both in politics and business, were incredibly valuable and thought-provoking.

Although the author has been involved in controversies, and like all human beings, is not perfect, I found the book to be still very informative. One of the key takeaways for me was the importance of strong leadership in times of crisis. Giuliani draws on his experience as mayor of New York City during the 9/11 attacks to illustrate how effective leadership can make all the difference in a crisis situation. His emphasis on preparedness, communication, and decisive action was inspiring and demonstrated the true power of strong leadership.

Another important lesson from the book was the importance of building a strong team. Giuliani emphasizes the need for leaders to surround themselves with talented and motivated individuals who share their vision and values. He also stresses the importance of delegation and empowering team members to take ownership of their work. As someone who values collaboration and teamwork, I found these insights to be particularly valuable.

Throughout the book, Giuliani also emphasizes the importance of integrity, honesty, and accountability in leadership. He shares several examples from his own career where he made tough decisions based on his principles and values, even when it was unpopular or difficult. As someone who values these qualities in both myself and others, I found these examples to be incredibly inspiring.

While the author's controversies cannot be ignored, I still believe that the book provides valuable insights into effective leadership strategies that can be applied to any type of organization or team. Overall, "Leadership" is a valuable read for anyone interested in developing their leadership skills or gaining insights into effective leadership strategies. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their leadership abilities and make a positive impact in their organization or community.

It does not matter if you are a Democrat or Republican, this book is great to understand how he handled the city in the aftermath of 9/11