I got the pleasure of seeing Rudolph Giuliani speak at a graduation ceremony at the University of Oklahoma where he discussed his new book, “Leadership”. He was an amazing speaker and as such I decided to pick up his book when I got the chance. Leadership by Rudolph W. Giuliani and Ken Kurson gives an overview of Mayor Giuliani’s leadership focus and a narrative of his actions/reactions to the September 11th events. I found both aspects of the book fascinating and informative without being overly scholastic.
“Leadership” does NOT provide any staggering new insight into leadership techniques and as such will probably not be useful to students of management. What the book does do is to provide fascinating examples of select leadership traits in action. These “inside” stories were the most enjoyable part of the book. Providing a counterpoint, to the New York media, on Giuliani’s term as mayor.
The book was begun well before 9/11 and as such the material covering those events feels, at times, disconnected from the main theme of the book. But because the 9/11 events play such a huge role in bringing Giuliani’s leadership skills to our attention, the information is understandable and interesting for its own sake.
Overall I really enjoyed reading “Leadership.” Its a quick read with a great deal of information, and was well worth my time.