First off, don't get me wrong this is an interesting book. From the man who helped a city recover from a dreadful event; he is an inspiration.

Also, Giuliani is a fantastic *manager*, who was able to get the city of New York running better than it had for years.

My main criticism is the title, and the derivations of some of the anecdotes. From my reading, Giuliani doesn't clearly understand the difference between *leadership* and *management*.

Sure, he has a great technique for aiding communication, for setting KPIs and ensuring they are met. But these are management tasks, not leadership.

My greatest disappointment with this book was hoping to find some of his ideas and insights into that much harder topic of leadership but all I got were some great ideas on how to manage a city (a city that has a population greater than my entire country...).

So, buyer beware! This is an interesting book and gives you some insight into the man (even if you need to read between the political lines) but don't expect a book on Leadership!

Can a textbook be delightfully written? This one is. Authors Richard L. Hughes, Robert C. Ginnett, and Gordon J. Curphy explore every aspect of leadership and smoothly weave research conclusions into the narrative. Examples abound, from Colin Powell to Walt Disney. The authors are all psychologists who specialize in leadership issues. They have written conversationally and intelligently, using plenty of sidebar material (even famous cartoons) to bring their reporting to life. We recommend this classic (now in its third edition) to everyone interested in leadership.

I listened to all of the ten audio cassette tapes. The presentation was both instructive and entertaining. The narration was great. I resonated with the message such that I laughed, cried, and marvelled through the many precepts and stories given. I got moist around the eyes while vicariously experiencing the beauty of courage, conviction, and of successfully overcoming great obstacles in the path to great accomplishment. The accomplishments of Mayor Giuliani's administration in NYC were many. Within the stories were principles related to the importance of hiring excellent people, management by morning meetings, management by metrics, being at the scene of problems. For lawyers, the book includes more than a few great insights.

Primary among the many great stories is the Mayor's references to September 11, 2001. This occupies all of chapter 1 but the stories continue throughout. One of the early delights in the book is the story of overcoming the "squeegee men" panhandlers in New York City. Chapter headings related to "Be Prepared", "Loyalty" and "Stand Up To Bullies" deliver what they promise. I marvelled that the loyalty stories related primarily to loyalty down to the people who work for you. The story about Rudy's fight with prostate cancer was remarkable for the example that it gave of great diligence in gathering information and making a careful decision. The book, as read, is clear and concise. Every word seems to count. In my experience, Rudy began to earn his reputation long before he was Mayor when we worked to obtain convictions and strong sentences against organized crime bosses.

The precepts and examples are admirable. It's Rudy's own account, but it is clear that Mr. Giuliani has given great diligence to his work while showing great insight, great commitment to principle, great courage.

As a Hong Kong citizen who had suffered over half a decade under the terrible governance of Tung Chee Wah, Hong Kong's chief executive assigned by PRC, I do envy New Yorkers who had the excellent leadership of Giuliani. Some reviewers argue that it's the good business environment of the 90's that allowed Rudy to perform the job well. I assure you that's absolutely false. Take the example of South East Asia whereas all countries including PRC enjoyed tremendous economic growth after the 97 financial crisis, Hong Kong had been getting worse year after year under an exceptionally bad government.

Back to the content of the book. Rudy had talked much about crisis management (and very little about his personal life except his cancer, but still job related), or actually, relentless anticipation and preparation, readiness to make timely decision and take responsibility, under promise and over deliver, staking with the right group of staff and communicating with them well, etc etc. One can always read them in management textbooks. What makes such a difference is that Rudy's ideas are well supported with real stories and that gives life and credibility to what he wants to preach.

In a word, a very good book and I wanna give Giuliani my salute.

The book Leadership by Rudolph Giuliani answers the question of how Giualini was able to perform the near miracles of halving the crime rate in New York City, putting mob bosses in jail in the US Attorney's Office, and helping the city recover after the terrorist attacks on September 11th. The examples in the book have been proven to work and Giuliani has the statistics to back it up!

Leadership is divided into three parts. The first narrates the events of September 11 and the various leadership skills that he used. The second part is subdivided into thirteen chapters each concerning an aspect of Giuliani's leadership style. During these chapters, Giuliani recounts projects he undertook when he was mayor and events from his life that shaped his leadership style. The third narrates the recovery effort after September 11 with a special emphasis on the efforts of the mayor's office.

This book is professionally rather than personally oriented and only discusses his personal life when it directly effects his professional life. Giuliani's struggle against prostate cancer is explained in the book but the breakup of his marriage is not. Those expecting a comprehensive biography from his boyhood to today will be disappointed. Although events throughout his life are described, they are only brought up as an example of his leadership style. Because the chapters are organized by qualities of his leadership style and not in chronological order, some events are repeated in multiple chapters but have a different purpose.

Not only is Leadership enjoyable to read as a biography but it also includes applicable leadership ideas. As a biography, the informal writing style makes the book easy to digest and pleasant to read. Unlike other books which discuss leadership style academically, Leadership uses practical examples that have worked in Giuliani's life.

If you disagree with Giuliani, you will feel satisfied reading about him in his own words and not through the funnel of the media. If you agree with Giuliani, you will enjoy the detailed examples of his leadership style, which illustrate how he managed the "ungovernable city." In either instance, it is an enjoyable read.