August 25, 2022

Bill George: True North

58 minutes

Bill George is former CEO of Medtronic and currently a professor at Harvard Business School. He’s written two leadership classics of all time: Authentic Leadership and True North.

Highlights:

“Why shouldn’t we lead with our hearts in business, and bring our whole humanity there?” [5:25] Bill George shares the heart and inspiration of True North: Emerging Leaders Edition, as today’s leadership moves from past eras of leading with your hands or head and instead from the heart.

“Employee’s today have agency. They say if you don’t care about me…I don’t wanna work here.” [20:53] Bill comments on the shift in our workforce that has led to the so-called ‘Great Resignation.’ His ideas and motivation for his new edition of True North is to inspire emerging leaders to create an environment that cares for everyone.

“Leading with your True North means to know what that sense is of who you are and being real AND then enabling everyone around you to be real.” [23:31] How has leading with True North changed in 2022? Bill reminds that leadership is no longer about command and control but instead realness and vulnerability.

“The key for people to understand is they first have to discover themselves and be introspective to arrive at this point in leadership.” [24:57] Marcel questions that this level of realness in leadership requires personal work. Bill recommends spending 20 minutes every day to reflect and learn who you are so that you can go out and inspire other people.

“The three great seducers are money, fame, and power.” [26:46] Bill George lists the forces that drive many leaders away from their True North. Bill shares illustrations of leaders without a True North and the consequences of that.

“What does it mean to have an integrated life? Think of your life in four buckets: Worklife, Family, Personal, and Friends/Community.” [37:30] The key to success and fulfillment is an integrated life. Bill elaborates that there is no such thing as the “perfect balance” but encourages to question if you can lead with integrity and in the same way in all four buckets of your life?

“Think of yourself as COACHing other people, to be a leader of leaders.” [42:42] Bill explains COACH, the acronym from the book. Care about your people. Organizing your team into their sweet spot. Alignment of your team into the mission and values. Challenge and encourage your team members to do better. Help your team solve problems.

Mentioned in this episode:

Bill George

William(Bill) George on LinkedIn

Mark Zuckerburg, Facebook

Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos

Rye Barcott – Co-Founder and CEO – With Honor

Team – With Honor

Jennifer Hyman – CEO, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board – Rent the Runway

Rent the Runway

Ken Frazier, CEO, Merck

Jonathan Lee Kelly, Founder, Asymmetric Holdings

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By Marcel Schwantes

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