October 2005, Crisis Management

One lesson learned from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was that Americans were not as prepared to handle a crisis as they thought. Do the leaders you recruit have the necessary presence and skills it takes to guide a team through a crisis? And do you know how to identify such individuals?

One leader who accomplished such an incredible goal was Rudy Giuliani when, as mayor, he guided New York City through the tragedy of 9/11. Giuliani last month gave the keynote address at the World Business Forum: Leadership Speaks in New York and offered his thoughts on the qualities and styles that make good leaders.

According to Giuliani, here's what good leaders should have and be able to achieve:

• Destination. Leaders must have a direction and goal - a vision of where they want to take an organization
• Optimism. This is especially important in times of crisis when people are looking for guidance. "Most follow those with hopes and dreams and who have solutions to problems," said Giuliani.
• Courage. Giuliani describes this as an acknowledgement (not an absence) of fear and overcoming that fear.
• Relentless preparation. Mental preparation for the worst scenario can help leadership uncover the best way to deal with a crisis situation when it does occur.
• Understand the value of teamwork. Create teams that balance a leader's weaknesses with others' strengths, said Giuliani.
• Communicate. Without good communication, any plan will be ineffective. Leaders must be able to communicate their plans to others.