Leadership

Rudolph GiulianiLittle BrownISBN 0316861014£16.99

Most people know something about the revolution that Giuliani 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?

It is 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 the UK. It is American (I was about to say "typically" but that might have been unfair). This is also a book about Giuliani, 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.

Giuliani 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.