Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value
Book Author: Bill George
MDA Reviewer: Sharon Sackett, Ph.D.
In this compelling account, former Medtronic CEO Bill George candidly shares his personal journey toward authentic leadership. He describes five essential dimensions of authentic leaders: purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. His premise is that authentic leaders of mission-driven companies—companies that put customers and employees first—will create far greater shareholder value than companies driven by purely financial incentives. In making his case, he draws heavily from his experiences at Medtronic and also shares case studies from other organizations. His examples illustrate the payoffs associated with authentic leadership, as well as the price that organizations pay when their leaders lose sight of themselves and their company’s core mission and values.
George provides many examples of how mission-driven companies can overcome barriers to become market leaders. As a consultant who works with a number of Minneapolis/St. Paul-based firms, I was intrigued by his story of how he transformed “Minnesota Nice” Medtronic into a values-centered and performance-oriented organization. He asked the question, “Do the organization’s norms drive performance or do they undermine it?” He recognized that Medtronic needed greater discipline to fulfill the mission and realize its vision of being a global leader in the marketplace. His challenge was to take a strongly values-centered culture and produce the top performance necessary to succeed against “win at any cost” competitors. The Medtronic example illustrates that skilled and courageous leaders can successfully drive performance and growth without sacrificing values and integrity.
George also addresses the need for balance in life—balance between work, family, and community. He is critical of leaders who give excessive time to their jobs, and he applauds those who have achieved “balance” in their lives with 50-60 hours of work per week. Although I challenge the idea that balance can exist when one is faced with 10 to 12-hour work days, I commend him for recognizing that today’s leaders—men and women alike—are voicing growing concern about this issue.
In part because of its autobiographical nature, the book left me
with a sense of who Bill George is as a person. Although not
a handbook for how to be authentic and build an authentic company,
his story is an inspirational call for genuine and ethical
leadership. I would recommend this book to anyone who aspires
to become a better leader.