A true leader must have a sense of what to believe in and be prepared to take risks, former New York Mayor Mr Rudolph Giuliani told a gathering of business people in Cork yesterday. He said these qualities were essential for steering a community through difficult times.

Leaders must also be courageous in the face of adversity, remain optimistic and encourage solidarity among their team players, he said.

Having achieved international praise for his leadership skills in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, Mr Giuliani remains steadfast that terrorism must be defeated.

"You can't negotiate or compromise with terrorists. You have to confront it, we have to reduce it," he said, insisting that negotiation does not remain an option in the battle against worldwide terrorism.

The former New York Mayor was the keynote speaker at an MBA Association of Ireland conference, entitled "Leadership in a Changing World".

Earlier, hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside the hotel to see Mr Giuliani as he arrived for the conference.

During the week, Mr Giuliani met Cork's First Citizen, Cllr Colm Burke, who paid tribute to the remarkable achievements of the New Yorker.

"I have great respect for Mr Giuliani, I think he did a tremendous job in New York, particularly during that terrible time two years ago. It was a huge task to take on, organising emergency services and showing such leadership - it was an inspiration to us all," the Lord Mayor said.

Mr Giuliani retired at the end of 2001, but has not ruled out a return to public office.