Giuliani shares leadership insights with Symposium attendees

ORLANDO, Fla. – Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told an audience of credit union directors, executives and volunteers at CUNA’s 2002 Symposium that during the crisis after the September 11 attacks he drew strength from some of his staff to keep going through the tragedy. He said whenever he was working for 18 or 19 hours straight and wondering how he could go on he would look at a member of his staff who had lost five, 10 or 15 friends, and some family members in the attacks and draw strength from their commitment. Giuliani used the bulk of his talk to tell the approving crowd, almost all of whom wore New York Yankee hats provided by Empire Corporate Federal Credit Union, about the leadership lessons the September 11 experience had taught him. The six lessons included being grounded in one’s beliefs, having courage, keeping an optimistic attitude, preparing for what one might face, teamwork, and communicating honestly. Giuliani defined having courage as having an ability to manage fear, versus the absence of fear, and keeping an optimistic attitude as keeping an attitude focused on finding solutions to a problem versus focusing on the problem itself. The former New York Mayor told the 2002 CUNA Symposium that he had been a credit union member as a federal prosecutor. “I think you are doing great,” he said. But he was coy about whether he would run for president in 2008, choosing to remain silent when asked from the floor about his presidential aspirations. “I won’t be running in 2004 because I know who I will be supporting in 2004,” the former mayor said. “and that is President George Bush.” Giuliani explained that he had supported Bush before the events of September 11 and said that nothing he had seen since had led him to change his mind. The audience responded with sustained applause for Giuliani’s support. [email protected]