Another governor may enter the presidential race, Rick Perry of Texas, the incumbent there for the past ten years. He's a Tea Party favorite, for what that's worth, and has taken tough stands on state sovereignty, border security, taxes and gun rights. But, what's most important to me is he's governed, so he's not just a theorist with a couple of degrees. And, since there's no other real news, I'm going back to my latest subject -leadership and Rudy Giuliani.
As I've mentioned, I read this recap of Rudy's book Leadership, by an unnamed reviewer from the Wharton School at Penn. And the author's critique was that "he doesn't tell us that much about what he found helpful in preparing himself for leadership. And despite the boatloads of books experts crank out on the subject every year, Giuliani cites no leadership book as having had any impact on him."
Then the author goes on to say, "After reading Leadership, we know how much he loves New York City, we know how he organized his days, we know how important his morning staff meeting was, we know how important he considered loyalty, and we know how driven he was. We know about his treatment for prostate cancer. We even learn a little about his relationship with Judith Nathan following the dissolution of his marriage to Donna Hanover. Rather, he tells us of those people in his life who helped shape his character, his beliefs, and his unique style. Chief among them was Lloyd MacMahon, a federal district judge in New York. MacMahon was part boss, part critic, part teacher, and part mentor. Giuliani worked for MacMahon as his law clerk following his graduation from law school. Those two years may well have been the defining years in Giuliani' s life."
Then the author continues, "His (Rudy's)lessons on leadership are, for the most part, platitudinous maxims that we have read in dozens of others books and articles: "Surround yourself with great people. Have beliefs and communicate them. See things for yourself. Set an example. Stand up to bullies. Deal with first things first. Loyalty is the vital virtue. Prepare relentlessly. Underpromise and overdeliver. Don't assume a damn thing."
Now, it seems to me that Rudy said plenty. He explained his core beliefs, the importance of preparation, the need for self-motivation at the highest level, how important trust is in compatriots, time management's worth, the critical value of learning from esteemed and knowledgeable mentors, among many other invaluable pointers. What's more, I think Rudy's last "platitudinous maxims" are worth repeating. "Surround yourself with great people. Have beliefs and communicate them. See things for yourself. Set an example. Stand up to bullies. Deal with first things first. Loyalty is the vital virtue. Prepare relentlessly. Underpromise and overdeliver. Don't assume a damn thing."
So, as I've been asking for the past few days, what is it exactly that the author wants to read? Because it seems to me Rudy was very clear in his writings. And I for one, who's spent plenty of years at various helms, know exactly what he's talking about and also sincerely believe he's right.
Then again, maybe what the author's seeking are magic formulae that get things done without the work. But, unfortunately for the author, Rudy provided none. And, in my situations, I didn't find any either. So maybe the author's going to have to put in a good part of a lifetime successfully leading himself and others like I did to truly understand Rudy's simple tips.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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