Becoming an Authentic Leader
The Gold Standard
Bill George emphasizes that true leadership is rooted in authenticity and emotional intelligence, advocating for a shift from individual ambition to servant leadership while encouraging self-awareness and learning from challenges to reach peak leadership potential.
Discover Your True North
Bill George emphasizes that authentic leadership requires a moral compass, self-awareness, and introspection, urging leaders to prioritize values over ego, seek diverse experiences, and surround themselves with honest feedback to navigate their paths effectively.
A Case Study in Knowing Your Values from Inside Nixon’s White House
In his video lesson, Bill George discusses how values are truly tested under pressure, using David Gergen's experience in the Nixon White House to illustrate the importance of self-reflection and learning from moments of compromised values.
Find Your Sweet Spot
Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic, emphasizes the importance of finding your "sweet spot"—the balance between your greatest motivations and capabilities—to maintain enthusiasm, enhance performance, and foster authenticity in leadership throughout your career.
Build Your Support Team Around 3 Key Players
Bill George emphasizes the importance of building a support team, including a trusted confidant, mentors of all ages, and a community group, to foster balanced leadership and ensure you have support during challenging times.
Make Time for Yourself in a 24/7 World
Work-life balance may be a misleading concept, as true equilibrium between work and life is unattainable; instead, Bill George advocates for "work-life integration," encouraging thoughtful trade-offs and authentic engagement in all aspects of life to avoid burnout.
Succeed Around the World with Global Intelligence (GQ)
In a global market, organizations must navigate opportunities and pitfalls by enhancing their global intelligence (GQ) through empathy, understanding, and authentic experiences to effectively adapt strategies and connect with diverse customers and cultures.
People used to think a leader is strong, the most intelligent person in the room, and driven by the pursuit of money, fame, or power. Today, we are renovating this cultural antique. And Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, says the key is to explore an overlooked essence of leadership: authenticity.
Learning Objectives
- Adopt authenticity as your gold standard and calibrate your inner moral compass.
- Use life’s challenges to develop self-awareness and locate your “sweet spot” to reach peak performance.
- Build a robust support team around a trusted confidant, a mentor, and a formal support group.
- Unite work demands with life goals through “work-life integration.”
- Increase your global intelligence to succeed in international markets.