Leadership

Rudolph Giuliani
Little Brown £16.99
ISBN: 0316861014

Most people know something about the revolution that Guiliani brought about in New York. He inherited a city that was beset by problems - and almost bankrupt. There is no doubt that his personal presence and authority contributed to the turnaround. So is he a good leader - and, if so, can he pass on lessons to others?

Its always difficult to be too critical of someone who achieved so much - and gained so much enhanced status after the 9/11 tragedy. However, this is a book that does not sit easily on a bookshelf in Britain. It is American (I was about to say 'typically' but that might have been unfair). This is also a book about Guiliani, rather than about leadership. If approached in that light, it becomes quite interesting. There are few real secrets of leadership, though - lessons that can be transferred from the particular to the generic situation.

Guiliani is not shy and retiring; he brims with self-confidence. Undoubtedly, this was one of the characteristics that made him a success - but on the printed page it comes across as self-satisfaction.

There is an attempt to distill 'leadership lessons' - but the attempt doesn't really work. The lessons are simplistic and obvious. "Find the best person suited for the job"; "make the right choices"; "speak from the heart"; and so on. Nothing wrong, but they are unlikely to make leaders of any of us.