11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Rudy Giuliani

1. Leadership Is Learned – While many people appear to have an innate ability to lead, most learn from their life and business experiences, then put these lessons into practice. Giuliani wrote, “The greatest leadership you ever have is the ability to lead your own life.”

2. Understand Good Leaders, Not Good Leadership – Giuliani wrote, “Read biographies of leaders you admire. That will tell you more about leadership than any leadership book.”

3. Learn Throughout Life – Education doesn’t stop when you quit attending school. In Giuliani’s words: “That’s how I ended up on the morning of September 12, reading a biography of Churchill. I was thinking, ‘I’m going to deal with something I haven’t dealt with before. Let me see if I can learn something.’”

4. Stand Up To Bullies – It’s important to have a sense of justice…“to realize you have to stand up to people who take advantage of those who are weaker.”

5. Discourage Yes-Men/Women – As the saying goes, if we both have the same opinion one of us is unnecessary. Build the team in your small business with people who don’t think exactly like you.

6. Reflect, Then Decide – Before making important decisions, learn everything you can about the topic. Giuliani said as soon as he found out he had cancer he began collecting information and suddenly felt safe, because then he could go to work doing something about it.

7. Don’t Listen To Critics – Anytime you’re in charge, there will be people “chirping” in the background. Giuliani didn’t let them distract him from doing what he believed was right.

8. Become An Expert – Giuliani wrote: “When people come to you to ask for advice and information because you know more about a subject than they do, that’s a sign of great leadership.”

9. Be Respectful – Use the Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated. “People know when you’re talking down to them, and they will not respect you,” he said.

10. Stay Close To Your Customers – In Giuliani’s case, this meant being with constituents, New Yorkers, in the weeks after 9/11. Remember him in the NYFD baseball cap and blue jeans, there to provide comfort and determination for all?

11. Communicate And Inform – In all of his press conferences and briefings after 9/11, Giuliani provided facts and details, understanding the importance of candid statements at all times. Let your team know what’s going on in your small business.

Copyright © 2005 by Success Handler, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he’s been there – as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

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