Book Report “An Ordinary Man”
Hospitality Leadership Systems
12/03/2012

Introduction:
Tom Zoellner, writes in his bibliography “An Ordinary Man” about the period of the Rwandan Genocide. Its impact and repercussions on the people, and how one hospitality-employed leadership figure by the name of Paul Rusesabagina saved 1,268 Tutsis through goodwill and courageous negotiations, are chronically ordered and told in detail. Ominously, the author introduces you into a standard of life that to us seems inexistent. The Tutsi tribe was historically seen as the ruling class of Rwanda while Hutu were considered farmer folk. Following World War I the Belgians were authoritarian rulers in the region, fueling further disputes between the Hutu
After a quick negotiation lacking compensating on the soldiers side, the freedom of the found Tutsis was granted and they were delivered to the hotel for a large sum of money. Paul was able to gain trust by displaying his leadership potential. This potential was created through the fearlessness in his negotiations with the Interhamwe. In retrospect, it is quite hard to predict ones actions given these circumstances. My premise is that through the foundation of his character and his background to non-violent solutions, his instinct and solution from the beginning was to peacefully confront the opposition. With the power of his identification, being a Hutu, he felt responsible to act as the negotiator between this ethnic divide. Certain tools will exist in your life and the way you chose to use them determine character and a sense of responsibility towards those not as fortunate. Paul stood his ground and instead took the long moral highroad that his position was able to provide and started contacting local and foreign governments asking for aid and protection.

Following a number of phone-calls the UN agreed to evacuate foreign guests yet to Paul disappointment refused security for the hotel amidst the raging crisis. Helping those stranded in his hotel, he encouraged them to phone any connection one may have to influential roles. It was a success-a number of guests were picked up after