"Just as a poker player tries to distuise his hand until he's called, often it's to a leader's benefit not to let others know what he's up to until the last possible moment." -- Giuliani
Huh? Why would a good leader be less than forthcoming with his team?
Rudy may have stated it differently, given the story he used to illustrate. The real lesson is to examine our visions with care when they first pop into our heads, and to announce plans in a way that's well-calculated, rather than brash. When a police chief sees the amount of murders down from 650 towards 610 (projected) during the first three months of the year, what are the drawbacks of announcing 600 as a goal at that point?
1. It's early and unsubstantiated.
2. It diminishes a significant and perfectly satisfactory accomplishment -- crime is decreasing!
Rightfully, Americans celebrate the memory of Kennedy's successful and uncharted dream of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960's. Still, it's just as American to achieve progress in any measure. Further, it's American to deliver on our promises. When temptation comes knocking to leap over tall buildings, we can privately check our emotions long enough to consider alternative ideas. Why not take a leisurely stroll around it instead? It's quicker, more relaxing, and much easier to convince people to follow you!
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