| Home > Resources > Leadership > Executive Summary > Case Studies Case Study 2001, Mayor Leads Mourning New Yorkers Mayor Rudolph Giuliani modeled effective leadership and communication after the September 11 attacks. When asked a few hours after the attacks how many people were anticipated dead, and when the exact number of victims was still unknown, he responded, "More than any of us can bear, ultimately". At a time when people were feeling misery, this response displayed empathy and compassion without downplaying the severity of the tragedy. He was forthcoming even when he did not have all of the information or answers to all of the questions. He understood that people needed to be kept up to date on what was happening, so he held regular press conferences to provide status updates, and shared any new information on the response to the attacks.
References ''It's 'more' than any of us can bear.' CBSNEWS.com 26 September 2001. Accessed 10/13/03. Giuliani, Rudolph. (2002) Leadership. New York: Mirimax. |
