Back to basics, rudy's way

By Dennis Sullivan
Chief Executive Officer

I recently had the distinct pleasure of introducing Rudy Giuliani as the keynote speaker at the Insurance Accounting & Systems Association (IASA) Annual Conference in Boston before a crowd of more than 1,300 insurance professionals. In preparation, I reread Giuliani’s 2002 best-selling book, Leadership. It reminded me how important it is to make a point of returning to the basics when it comes to front-line management and leadership. Giuliani took on the enormous task of rebuilding and revitalizing New York City in the early ‘90s. What is at first surprising is how simple and straightforward an approach Giuliani employed to get things moving.

He notes in his book that “part of leadership is being able to harness your passion to help attain your goals.” To be successful in any job, passion is a prerequisite. Accepting status quo never gets you into the leadership club. Another tip offered in the book was “maintain your humanity.” With these two bits of advice, Giuliani addresses both the job at hand and the people needed to accomplish that job.

As demonstrated by the 8:00 a.m. daily briefings he held religiously for the eight years he was mayor of New York and his obsession with using data to track results, Giuliani’s leadership style was hands-on. He hired talented people and expected them to deliver results, and held all team members accountable at all times. His style appears uncomplicated, stripped down to raw essentials: there were no long-winded chapters in the book about vision, strategy, or development of long-term core competencies. My takeaway was a simple credo—be an optimist, look to the future, and have a goal. But it is the day-to-day blocking-and-tackling aspects of leadership that provide the momentum and course corrections you need as you move towards that goal, whatever it may be.

There is an interesting chapter about decision-making. “Reflect, then decide,” Giuliani writes. The chapter talks about not making a decision until it’s time. Some might read this as analysis paralysis, but after listening to him speak, I think he is cautioning against making quick decisions merely to end the tension and discomfort of conflicting views from your management team. Review the input, play out the alternatives, but then be ready to pull the trigger. Leaders need to be willing to pull the trigger and have a feel for timing. Balancing the need for adequate input with the need to make a timely decision is a function of the talent of the people you hire.

Giuliani’s optimism was evident in his address at the conference. People will not follow a pessimist and the leader needs to identify a goal, build the plan (strategy) to reach that goal, and then be relentless in their preparation to accomplish the steps needed to attain the goal. The concept of relentless preparation really hit home with me. Giuliani talked about preparing for unseen circumstances and potential pitfalls. This preparedness allows you to adjust course when necessary (and you must always be willing to adjust when one of your bright people finds a better way). A constant focus on the goal and a relentless pursuit to deliver the results are the traits of a true leader.