By Steve Adubato, PhD
Ironically the same catastrophic surrounding 9/11, and then New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s handling of it, winds up generating an embarrassing communication and public relations problem for the presidential candidate who came to be known as “America’s Mayor.”
While Giuliani received unprecedented praise for his calm, compassionate and clear communication and decision making in the hours and days after 9/11, he has gotten into hot water recently for attempting to embellish and, some argue, mischaracterize his role at Ground Zero.
In a series of public speeches and in response to questions in press briefings regarding his role in protecting rescue workers at Ground Zero from dangerous and potentially deadly asbestos, dust and metal-filled air, Giuliani communicated in a clumsy and cavalier fashion regarding his own involvement at Ground Zero. He said he had been “at Ground Zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers” and that “I was there often enough so that every health consequence that people have suffered, I could also be suffering.”
So by embellishing his own performance and involvement regarding 9/11 and in turn his presence at Ground Zero, Rudy Giuliani has a communication problem that could seriously tarnish his well-deserved image as a superior crisis communication leader.
Q: What exactly are the dangers of overstating your role as a leader in a crisis?
A: First, it looks tacky. Even if you are accurate about your performance, it is not for you to say but rather for others to praise you. In Giuliani’s case, he was not only Time Magazine’s man of the year in 2001, but he was recognized by millions for his exceptional leadership and communication after 9/11. He didn’t need to blow his own horn. The biggest danger is that he potentially disrespects and offends the heroic rescue workers who in fact did spend those dangerous hours, days and ultimately weeks on “The Pile” at Ground Zero and whose health is seriously at risk.
Q: But wasn’t Rudy Giuliani only trying to defend himself from criticism that he didn’t do enough at Ground Zero to protect rescue workers from dangerous air quality?
A: If your motives are to deflect attention from criticism directed at you, then the self adulation and praise is even worse. It is seen as an effort to not take responsibility for mistakes that may have been made, even if Rudy Giuliani’s performance as a communicator surrounding 9/11 was otherwise exceptional. When a leader is seen as not being accountable for his actions, the potential fall out is huge.
Q: So what are the lessons for professional managers and others who may have performed extremely well under pressure and are tempted to blow their own horn?
A: Don’t do it. Fight the temptation. Allow others to recognize your performance. If that doesn’t happen, be patient, because no matter your motives or how accurate you may be, praising your own communication and leadership in such a public way sends the wrong signals to key stakeholders and audiences. It says instead of being confident and secure in who you are and what you’ve done, as a leader you need to remind yourself and everyone else of what you’ve done.
Q: Are you saying aggressive public relations and promotion is wrong?
A: Absolutely not. However, third party testimonials about you and your organization are always more significant than your own public assessment of your performance. Wouldn’t you be more impressed if a reader says my column has been helpful to him as opposed to me bragging about this being the best column in the Star-Ledger? The answer should be pretty clear.