Leadership

June 18, 2002

I have listened to leadership lectures. I have read about the principles of leadership. But last week I had the great privilege of attending a breakfast featuring Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the speaker -- on leadership.

I think the five points that he made are worth thinking about. Who better to talk about leadership than the person who led New York City through the difficult days following the terrorist attack of 9-11.

. Know what you believe. Mayor Giuliani believed in fighting crime and cleaning up the city. He stayed on course. No diversions. Crime in New York City declined dramatically. He gave Ronald Reagan as an example of someone who knew what he believed and stayed the course. He cut taxes. He fought communism. Everyone knew what Ronald Reagan stood for.

. Courage to lead. To do what needs to be done. The police and firefighters going up in those smoldering towers were afraid but they had courage.

. Prepare. Think about all the possibilities and be ready. We must do that in farming. We need a plan in case it rains and in case it doesn't. We have to be prepared for unexpected market moves. Relentless preparation will pay dividends.

. Teamwork. The St. Louis Cardinals need teamwork if they expect to win. As Secretary of Agriculture I had a team and we worked together. To serve president Reagan and the country. Remember, you can accomplish a lot if you don't care who gets credit.

We're fighting terrorism and the President is trying to pull the team together to better coordinate that effort.

The mayor's last point was communication. You are more believable if what you say comes from the heart, if it is what you really believe. No one will follow a leader that can't communicate what is to be done.

Until next week, I am John Block reporting from Washington.