burrito day 4/14/05

Leadership is a beautiful thing! We here at the BDC have recently been fascinated by various forms of leadership, whether it be in the politiical realm or the business environment. Whether it involves courageously leading a country into battle (see Winston Churchill), or resurrecting an average company into an efficient empire (see Jack Welch), leadership can mean everything when trying to accomplish a lofty goal. In politics, one man stands above all others in recent years however -- Rudy Giulani. From the years 1993 - 2001, Rudy organized various teams to attack seemingly insurmountable problems within the city. He would not expect the simple answer -- "That is just the way it is". He wanted answers! Many people remember him for his outspoken efforts after 9/11, but Rudy's true accomplishments were well-established before he ever entered the national spotlight.

How did he do this you may ask? Simple really -- he asked each one of his department leads (crime, road improvements, etc.) to take responsibility for their performance. This sounds simple in words, but holds great meaning when forced into action. Rudy would meet with his department heads on a weekly basis and hammer out the details of the city. In his words, 'while these meetings were often confrontational, they were invaluable in getting to the truth". His focus on responsibility, along with weekly meetings where department leads were forced to defend their performance, lead the most diverse city in the world from the cellar of turmoil to a clean, safe place to live. Look only at the following three statistics for his successes

Violent crime reducecd by 80%
Overall crime reduced by 75%
Inmate violence reduced by 93%!

Undoubtedly, if he chooses to run, he has my vote for president in 2008!