gnificant in distinguishing them from noncharismatic leaders:
This analysis will now explore Mayor GiulianiÆs leadership on September 11, 2001 and afterwards in order to demonstrate his charismatic leadership that turned the nationÆs worst disaster into a triumph of hope, optimism and rebuilding.
The attack on the World Trade Center twin towers on September 11, 2001, threw New York City into chaos. With respect to its leadership, Mayor Giuliani arrived at the World Trade Center just as a plane hit the second tower. The first image he witnessed was a man leaping from the 102nd floor of the south tower. Giuliani was traveling with key members of his staff. Their original destination was a $13 million crisis command center bunker at 7 World Trade Center (Ripley, 2002, 1). Giuliani immediately vetoed these plans in favor of finding a new command post. Together with his fire and police commissioners, Giuliani found a new command post after a harrowing search.
Giuliani was taken aback and in horror at the events unfolding before his eyes, but he immediately took charge of the situation despite the shock of all. As he writes in his book Leadership, ôI immediately devised two priorities. We had to set up a new command center. And we had to find a way to communicate with people in the cityö (Giuliani, 2002, 6). Giuliani had the utmost faith in his fire and police commissioners. He established two command centers, one for the fire department and one for the police department. The dual commands were established since each department would serve a different function. The first department would ôlead the rescue and evacuationö and the police department ôhad to protect the rest of the cityö (Giuliani, 2002, 6).
GiulianiÆs self-confidence never waiver. Though he privately worried about the future of New York City, he never showed such worry. He immediately began delegating tasks and making decisions involving team...