Monthly Archives: September 2015

LinkedIn: ‘Northern’ Exposure to Leadership: An Interview With ‘True North’ Author Bill George

Here’s an edited excerpt from my latest “Wacky World of Work” interview with Harvard professor and former Medtronic CEO Bill George.

No one ever said leading is easy. You hear about leading by example all the time, but what about examples of leading? Bill George, the former CEO of medical-device-company Medtronic Inc., draws up a road map to leadership in his recently updated book “Discover Your True North.” In the book, he interviews 125 people about their ideas on leadership. What he concludes is that people who learn from their life experiences, or “crucibles” as he calls them, and follow their leadership compass “northward” can achieve “authentic leadership.”

Workforce: Can you give me an idea of what you mean by ‘true north’?

Bill George: True north is your most deeply held beliefs, the values you live by and the principles you lead by. So it’s really the essence of who you are. Who are you as a person? You know your center; it’s like your moral compass.

WF: You talk about the myth that leaders are born. How did you come to that conclusion?

George: I think it’s [leadership] a combination of the qualities you’re born with, but then you have to develop. It’s no different from a cellist who’s going to Carnegie Hall. You don’t just show up; you have to practice every day. And I think people need to practice their leadership every day.

WF: What are some of the qualities that you would look for if you were recruiting a leader?

George: Far and away No. 1 is authenticity. Are they genuine people? Are they good in their skin? Are they real? And do they come across as who they are? There’s some free-flowing ideas about faking it to make it or pretending you have charisma or putting on a good impression for an interviewer. That’s a good way to get in trouble and hire the wrong person. … I think all too often we look at résumés rather than the person behind the résumé. That’s where big mistakes are made.

WF: You interviewed 125 leaders for your book, was there an answer that surprised you?

George: We asked people about their traits and characteristics, and they wouldn’t talk about that. They wanted to talk about their life experiences, their life story. We never expected how important that was going to be. … We hit upon the thing that was the most important, and that’s the impact of the greatest crucible of their life, the most challenging experience they’ve ever had and how they framed that. And the great leaders framed those experiences not as victims — they didn’t just stuff them and forget about them — they used them as opportunities for growth. In the new book, we talk about an emerging concept called ‘post-traumatic growth’ of how people are using challenging experiences early in life to grow as leaders and as human beings.

This article was originally posted 09/10/15 on linkedin.com.

Your Values Define Who You Are As an Authentic Leader

Your values define who you are as an authentic leader.

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Strategy+Business: Go North, Lost Leader

It is tempting to put Bill George’s latest book — a substantial update of a volume published in 2007 — in the same genre as those written by other formidable CEOs, such as Lee Iacocca of Chrysler, Jack Welch of General Electric, or Martha Stewart. But this book is different. That’s mainly because after serving as CEO of Medtronic from 1991 to 2001, a period during which the company’s market capitalization grew at an average annual rate of 35 percent, George became a Harvard Business School professor and taught for 10 years. Thus, he has a track record as both a corporate leader and a leadership professor.

Discover Your True North is not a book about how George led Medtronic. Although he does spend a few pages on his own time in the corporate world, the bulk of the book is about the lives of others. Lots of others. In addition to tapping into 125 interviews conducted for past books with an array of leaders, George did 47 new interviews. And from this mass of insight, George distilled what is, for him, the essence of leadership (in business, the nonprofit world, and government). He illustrates his points with examples of leaders he has known, worked with, interviewed, or helped train. The upshot: Although there are many ways to lead, George insists that only leaders who honor their own “true north” have a chance to leave a positive and enduring legacy. To follow your true north means, in essence, to lead others by mastering and sharing what is special and unique inside you, your authentic self.

Finding your true north involves three steps, which are detailed in the three parts of the book.

In Part One, George stresses how important it is for a leader to review his or her past in order to understand the significance of the leadership journey. People too easily forget, he implies, both positive and negative events that happened in their early life and relationships that were either compelling or repelling. Analyzing these is an essential first step toward better knowing oneself, especially if they help decode how one’s current behaviors as a leader evolved from these moments. The key events to dwell on, he says, are those times when someone experienced a “crucible,” a time of personal transformation caused by illness, divorce, poverty, discrimination, rejection, failure, or some other form of personal testing.

In Part Two, George explains the five areas important to a developing leader. These are being self-aware, sticking to one’s values, staying with a career sweet spot, having and utilizing a support team, and, lastly, living an integrated (balanced) life. These are the core building blocks for becoming an authentic leader. This term is, of course, central to George’s whole approach to leadership. In his introduction, he asserts, “Today authenticity is seen as the gold standard for leadership.” He shuns leadership based on charisma, imitating others’ styles, looking good, or acting on self-interest. “Nor should leadership,” he says, “be conflated with your leadership style, managerial skills, or competencies. These capabilities are very important, but they are the outward manifestation of who you are as a person. You cannot fake it to make it, because people sense intuitively whether you are genuine.”

In Part Three, George discusses what occurs when your unique and distinct “true north” is challenged by the real world. Since no one can lead alone, he advocates leading from a position of “we” and not “I,” and thereby avoiding any kind of lone ranger-ism. Further, he believes that what unites a team (no matter the size) is not the force of one leader but the common focus on a core purpose that rallies all to succeed. This force is strongly amplified when the leader has instilled a spirit of empowerment. “Authentic leaders focus on building personal relationships with people and empowering them to lead, each in his or her own way,” he writes. Finally, George believes that the world has become so interconnected that leaders must develop a “GQ,” or global intelligence [quotient]. To lead a workforce that is increasingly international and multicultural requires “adaptability, awareness, curiosity, empathy, alignment, collaboration, [and] integration.” And George says that one of the best ways to develop one’s GQ is to live and work in another country as soon as possible.

That is the structure of his book in a few hundred words. What fills the other 250-plus pages? To put it simply, George tells lots of stories. Every point he makes is developed by a story. In a paragraph or a few pages, George writes about someone who exemplifies the lesson he is trying to teach. The stories come fast and furious. How cyclist Lance Armstrong’s “ruthless quest for glory” poisoned his personal values and aspirations. What Starbucks founder Howard Schultz learned from his encouraging mother and his defeatist father. We read about Warren Buffett’s discovery of his sweet spot (“I don’t want to live like a king. I just want to invest.”) and his adamant refusal to abandon it. How publisher Arianna Huffington’s midlife collapse and physical breakdown triggered a desire to find a “third metric” — aside from money and power — by which to measure worldly success. We learn how South African president Nelson Mandela decided to leave behind 27 years of prison and dedicate himself solely to fulfilling the hopes of others, denying himself any desire to wreak vengeance on those who imprisoned him. And how Chade-Meng Tan’s teaching of meditation to thousands of Google employees has boosted morale at the company.

You’ll find many, many more names, organizations, and stories — so many that it was impossible for me to consume this book in my preferred single sitting. And although the volume is impressive, the faces start to blur, the incidents start to jumble, and the points of the stories start to get lost. Then again, George probably knew this might be the case and would undoubtedly recommend reading only a part of a chapter at a time. He knows that leadership development is never speedy.

“Discovering your True North is hard work. You may take you many years to find it, as was the case for me,” he notes at the beginning of the book. He closes by noting that the goal of a leader should be to “make this world a better place to live for all the people who inhabit it.” Thus, this book will be helpful for at least two kinds of people. If you’ve been feeling lost in either your leadership role or your leadership quest, consider this a new verbal compass to get you back on the right track. And if you have been living your life as a leader consumed by a unilateral desire to make more and more money without societal benefit, consider this a compendium of the lessons about leadership that you forgot to learn.

This article was originally posted 9/10/15 on Strategy-Business.com.

Fortune: It’s Time For Boomers To Let Millennials Start Leading The Way

They’re a new generation of leaders with a new set of rules. Here are four ways baby boomers can let millennials take charge.

If baby boomers are the “Me” generation, then millennials are fast emerging as the “We” generation. With a focus on service, global leadership, diversity, and emotional intelligence, they are taking on leadership roles faster than any cohort since the Greatest Generation.

During the past 12 years, I’ve taught more than a thousand millennials at Harvard Business School, spending countless hours to help them understand their aspirations and motivations. To attract the best talent and motivate millennial workers, boomer-run businesses need to understand them and create opportunities for them to lead now, so the baton can be passed.

In putting together my new book, Discover Your True North, I learned even more about this generation. Here are four key lessons I picked up along the way, along with four star millennials who embrace each one.

Millennials are committed to serving others rather than pursuing their own self-interests. Many are looking for opportunities to serve in immediate ways and help solve social problems.

Look at Seth Moulton, one of the youngest U.S. Congressmen at 36 years old. In his Harvard commencement address, he challenged his peers to commit to service. But it wasn’t just lip service: After graduation in 2001, Moulton joined the Marine Corps and served four tours of duty in Iraq—the last as special assistant to Gen. David Petraeus during the Iraq surge. Seven years later, he upset a long-standing Massachusetts incumbent after trailing by 32 points the summer before the election. In his victory speech, he talked of Congress’ misunderstanding of the military and lack of support for veterans, declaring, “I am going to Washington to change that.”

Millennials’ perspective is more global than any other generation. They engage deeply in global issues, especially in developing countries.

As a teenager, Abby Falik traveled to Indonesia and was overwhelmed by the extreme poverty there. She then spent a summer teaching in Nicaragua and took a year off from college to return to build a library, an experience she said “broke me down.” Falik then created non-profit Global Citizen Year (GCY) in 2008 to create a bridge year between high school and college for high-potential leaders who want to do service work abroad. Thus far, GCY has sent 500 students to live in developing countries and has secured donors including the Arnhold Foundation and money manager Shelby Davis, who have each contributed a million dollars or more.

Millennials celebrate diversity. They welcome people of different ethnicities, religions, genders, national origins, and sexual orientations, recognizing that these differences enrich their lives.

In 2009, Brian Elliott founded Friendfactor, a non-profit organization that recruits straight people as visible allies to their LGBT colleagues in their workplaces and campus communities. The group’s flagship program, the Friendfactor MBA Ally Challenge, tries to get business schools to engage as many students as possible in building LGBT-friendly campus cultures. Since 2012, Friendfactor says the Challenge has included 23 MBA programs and more than 11,000 students, and improved the schools’ cultures with 50% more LGBT students feeling comfortable being out to everyone on campus.

Millennials rely heavily on emotional intelligence (EQ). The old notion of leaders as the smartest guys in the room has been replaced by authentic leaders with high EQs. Millennials yearn to see their leaders as authentic people, with whom they can relate on a personal basis.

Tracy Britt Cool, a mentee of Warren Buffett, exemplifies the importance of EQ. Britt, who grew up working long hours on her family farm, stood out in my MBA classes with her insights into the human dimension of business problems. Upon meeting in 2009, she and Buffett connected instantly, as he sensed her talent and integrity, and she immediately accepted his offer to join Berkshire-Hathaway brk.a . Five years later, Britt oversees investments worth billions, sits on the board of Kraft Heinz, and is CEO of Berkshire company The Pampered Chef.

With all the differences emerging among millennials, it remains to be seen whether they will stay committed to serving others into their middle years, or fall prey to using their newfound power for their own benefit. The boomers of the “Me” generation were kids of the Kennedy era, who were equally idealistic in the 1960s, only to have their idealism squelched by the Vietnam War and their desires for increased financial stature.

Will the millennials face a similar fate? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, it’s time to give them the opportunities they seek to lead now. They will change the face of America and of our business, non-profit, and government organizations.

That will be good for all of us.

This article was originally posted 9/9/15 on Fortune.com.

Who Will Be There For You When Things Go Awry?

When times get tough, who do you call? Your spouse, partner, family member, or a friend? Maybe a colleague? Are you a member of a group that meets regularly to talk about life? If you have not already built a support team, it’s time to start.

Having a support network and knowing when to reach out for guidance is important. Everyone needs help occasionally, and you’ll find that cultivating a reliable support team benefits your emotional health and makes you a stronger leader.

Building your support team outside of the office

Studies show a lack of support in general can lead to depression. This may be amplified for leaders, because in addition to the regular stress of life, they carry additional pressure. Plus, leadership is isolating. The old saying “it’s lonely at the top” is true, but it doesn’t have to be.

Authentic leaders counteract the stress of leadership by traveling with company. In Discover Your True North, we talk to Piper Jaffray CEO Tad Piper. Piper is a member of three support groups that meet regularly. He attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a couples group, and a Bible study. He credits each of these with positively impacting his life.

“Most of us don’t find the balance we desperately seek,” he said. “It is incredibly valuable to be reinforced by others who are wrestling with similar issues and actually doing something about them.”

Support groups allow you to hear new perspectives and put yourself in another’s shoes. Leaders tend to think of their decisions as final, but incorporating outside opinions allows you to see your choices for how they impact the bigger picture. Your support team also helps you keep a level head. When power and wealth pull you off course, your support network will keep you on track and hold you accountable.

In Discover Your True North, you read that gaining self-awareness through feedback is vital to your success as a leader. Support groups offer a natural source of feedback; they are necessary for your growth.

Developing support within your organization

An article from the University of Rhode Island points out that organizations are focusing more and more on specialized employees. Perhaps as a leader, you are hiring for a specific expertise right now. If your organization is full of various personalities and you make a decision without any input, you could negatively impact the majority of the company. However, if you bring multiple stakeholders into the decision-making process, you are more likely to get a true cause and effect response, and a decision that fully accounts for possible outcomes.

Shared decision-making also engenders trust. Employees appreciate being heard — especially Millennials, who want to feel empowered by a collective vision. Sharing the pressure of leadership is a way to be more open and vulnerable. Remember our discussion about how vulnerability humanizes a leader and draws a team closer? It’s all starting to come together.

Mentoring is a two-way street

Mentors are an important part of your support team. The benefits of having a mentor are clear. You can seek advice, bounce ideas off an experienced person, hear about obstacles and talk through challenges before they arise. But it may be equally valuable to provide this guidance to others. Lasting relationships must flow both ways.

The best mentoring relationships spark mutual learning. If you are mentoring someone, you’ll find you learn about your own industry as you talk through what you know.. You will also gain the perspective of another, often younger, person. You will see the business through a different lens. This offers valuable insight into what is working well and can expose where change is needed. Thirdly, you will develop valuable relationships. You will grow close with your mentee and gain access to a broader swathe of people as your mentee moves into the world.

Art Markman, author of Smart Thinking, puts these benefits of mentoring in three buckets: “Learning by Teaching,” “Building a Neighborhood,” and “Perspective on Your Career.” This is a nice summary of what we talk about in Discover Your True North. Mentoring is an act of self-growth, networking, and gaining new perspectives. Mentoring another person is, for a leader, a valuable component of support.

True North Groups

A True North Group is a small community of people who engage in intimate discussions about their lives and work. In 2011, I wrote True North Groups with my good friend Doug Baker Sr. We wanted to present a clear structure that allowed groups to efficiently extract honest communication. If you find yourself lacking support, start a group of your own.

When you feel the winds of life beginning to pull you off course, reach out for support. A support team or a True North Group is a great way to develop your self-awareness and move forward into honest communication. Support keeps you balanced. It’s irreplaceable if you want to become an authentic leader and continue toward your True North.

Learn more about this topic in Chapter 7: Support Team.

Huffington Post: Self Awareness: Key to Sustainable Leadership

In 2007, Arianna Huffington’s career was on a rapid upward trajectory. After building the Huffington Post as the leading online global newspaper, Time chose her as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People.

Then she had a wake-up call. One day she found herself lying on the floor of her home office in a pool of blood. She had collapsed from exhaustion.

The gravity of her collapse forced Huffington to confront her lifestyle. As she explained, “I was working 18 hours a day, seven days a week. By traditional measures of money and power, I was highly successful, but by any sane definition I was not living a successful life. Something had to change radically.”

For Huffington, this moment of crisis pushed her to reflect on her life. As her self-awareness deepened, she made important life changes: focusing on her personal health, meditating daily and committing to time for herself.

The charge, “Know thyself,” is centuries old, but for today’s leaders, it has never been more important. Research from psychologist Daniel Goleman shows that self-awareness is crucial for all levels of success. As he outlines in Emotional Intelligence, above an IQ of 120, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) becomes the more important predictor of successful leaders. Developing self-awareness is the first step to develop your EQ.

My grandfather — an old Dutchman who came to America in 1876 — had a worn wooden plaque that read, “We grow too soon old, and too late wise.” As a young man, I rejected this notion as I lacked the self-awareness to understand my limitations, blind spots, and inexperience. Over the years, its truth has come back to me many times.

When True North was published in 2007, we understood the importance of self-awareness, but were not clear about how to improve our awareness. As demonstrated in my follow-on book, Discover Your True North, we have learned a great deal since then about how to gain self-awareness.

Crises like Huffington’s can force you to reassess your life to gain self-awareness and discover your True North. But you can avoid these crises by developing self-awareness now. After in-depth interviews with 170 world leaders and classroom discussions with 6,000 executives and MBAs in Authentic Leadership Development (ALD) at Harvard Business School, we’ve learned three essential steps to building your self-awareness:

Probing deeply into your life story and framing your crucible
Creating a daily practice of introspection and reflection
Receiving intimate feedback from people you trust

Understanding your life story and framing your crucible

Your journey to self-awareness begins with understanding your life story and framing your crucibles. All of us face times of crisis, pain, disappointment, or rejection during our lives. Many respond by developing false selves and building protective layers to protect themselves from pain or facing their reality. In doing so, they grow farther from their true selves and building on their life stories.

Reflecting on the life you’ve lived helps you to discover your True North – the beliefs, values and principles that are most important to you. Discover Your True North asks readers to consider these questions:

Looking at your early life story, what people, events, and experiences have had the greatest impact in shaping the person you have become?
In which experiences did you find the greatest passion for leading?
How do you frame your crucibles and setbacks in your life?

These questions are starting points to become aware. As you understand your life story, the reasons for your current actions become clear. Digging into your crucible is especially important: do you see yourself as a victim? do you repress the experience? Or can you reframe hardship to help find your deeper values?

Create a daily habit of self-reflection
Next, you should develop a daily practice of setting aside at least twenty minutes to reflect on your life. This practice enables you to focus on the important things in your life, not just the immediate. Reflection takes many forms. Some keep a journal, some pray, and others take a long walk or jog. Personally, I use daily meditation as my mindful habit. By centering into myself, I am able to focus my attention on what’s really important, and develop an inner sense of well-being.

Seek Honest Feedback
Nearly all of us have traits, habits, and tendencies that others see in us, but we are unable to see in ourselves. We call these “blind spots.” Do you see yourself as others see you? If not, your blind spots can be addressed by receiving honest feedback from people you trust.

To obtain honest feedback, you must surround yourself with truth tellers. Then you must continuously others for feedback. As you do, you’ll become more self-aware.

Although a traumatic event can cause you to become self-aware, my advice is don’t wait until that happens — start developing your self-awareness now. As you follow these three practices, you will find you are more comfortable being open, transparent, and even vulnerable. As you do, you will become a more authentic leader.

This article was originally posted 9/8/15 on HuffingtonPost.com.