Mando Rosales

Book Review
“Leadership”
By: Rudolph Giuliani and Ken Kurson

“Leadership” a book written by former mayor Rudy Giuliani is a book of wisdom and personal experience. The book focuses on many aspects of leadership and decision-making. Although focusing mainly on his professional life the book also derives anecdotes from Rudy Giuliani's early years in New York City. The book consists of around fourteen chapters containing different situations where he lays out a particular leadership point or belief. The book describes how he believed that only oneself was responsible for everything. In order to avoid defeat we had to prepare ourselves relentlessly is what he believed. Demonstrating his capability of facing situations with great fortitude and decisiveness, the book describes how he felt about standing up to the bully. “I have a visceral reaction to bullies. I can’t tolerate it when a predator takes an unfair advantage,” said Mr. Guiliani. In one of the chapters he identifies the importance of having been surrounded by great people like ex New York Judge McMahon. He believed that if you surround yourself with great people you learn how to be a strong leader. The book also talks about the traditional tenets like the importance of the morning meeting, accountability, honesty and loyalty. Depicting different situations where it was obvious that without such decisions the turnout of the events might have been different. Leadership is a book of real life decisions that were field tested under various conditions leaving no question that they were an example of a winning combination.
In class we have leaned various factors that make a great manager. One of the most important in my opinion is being a great leader. I believe that in order to be a good manager you must be a great leader. This book focuses solely on how Rudy Giuliani accomplished just that. He talks about responsibility and taking everything that is done as if it were yours. In this class we have identified responsibility as one of the three aspects that make up The Leadership Pyramid. Responsibility depicts ones character and gives a sense of ownership. It makes the situation on hand be a mere reflection of your being. Another thing that I saw in this book is that Rudy speaks greatly of accountability. Accountability is giving each person a detailed description of what it is that they are being asked to accomplish. By specifying what they own you ask that they become responsible for the outcome. In this book I also noticed how Rudy Giuliani used the Path-Goal Theory in some of his actions as a leader. As he moved in eliminating the mafia in New York, he tried changing behaviors by taking legal action on those who were involved in any criminal activities. He sought to change the behaviors of those doing wrong by prosecuting them on crimes like extortion bribery and many other criminal offenses. In class we have also learned of organizational behavior and the importance of it. Rudy Giuliani and his desire to straighten up New York City accomplished such goals by example and direction. He gave ultimatums that reflected no tolerance and needed change. Giuliani set out attainable goals, comparing the results to previous indicators and demanded improvement if needed. Psychologically as people saw change in the agencies of the city, “people felt more positive,” Giuliani said. In class we have also learned about personality and values and how they affect the persons being. In this book the values that Giuliani had made the difference in his leadership role. His desire to be happy and fulfilled, led him to feel he had to serve a greater cause which to him was helping others. Having qualities like those is what made Giuliani such a great leader, being able to form teams who brought out the best in each other because of the role model that was guiding them.
I believe this book really enhanced the skills that this class and the book are trying to identify. The book gives real life situations that can place you in the event being described. Trying to compare what was done to what you might have done. Giuliani’s book is very well organized giving different aspects of life and decisions that had to be made. I also believe that if you surround yourself with good you will end up with good. This book is a perfect example of the type of material that I like to read. It lets me get into character and simulate what the author is trying to portray. Learning from someone who has gone through it all is what it is all about. This book gave me the confidence to believe that nothing is unreachable and that by experience we will better. “Leadership” by Giuliani is an example of how life can make you go through things that can change who you are. After I read this book I felt allot more realized, it made me look back and analyze my current state and figure where I want to be with myself. Along with this class the book it has led me to understand that a great leader becomes a great leader with the years of service and learning with mistakes and triumphs. I now understand deeply how it is important to reflect then decide. I found myself taking decisions in life that were not always thought thoroughly. One of the most important things that I learned from this book is something that Giuliani made clear, “under-promise and over-deliver!” I feel that this class has made me understand why my employees react and act a certain way. I have learned how to better manage situations that arise by being objective about the situation. The book solidified my understanding of leading by example, making those around you believe in you and compensating when they have met their goals set out to them.