Bill George, senior fellow at Harvard Business School and former CEO of Medtronic, has written a compelling article, The Rise of True North Leaders, in the Winter 2016 edition of Leader to Leader. George laments the fact that the past decade has seen a failure in leadership within the business community – as witnessed by the bankruptcies of Enron, WorldCom and other companies. But George has also observed the emergence of high-caliber, authentic leaders who, after witnessing the fallout from the recent crises within the business world, are discovering their “True North”. Boards of Directors are re-defining their view of corporate leadership from one based on charisma and style to one focused on character and substance.

True North leaders have learned that “being authentic is the most effective and sustainable way to lead”. They are the key to guiding their organizations through the realities of a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) business environment. George’s research of 170 leaders concluded that the key to becoming an authentic, True North leader is to develop a keen sense of self-awareness. And the way that these 170 True North leaders enhanced their self-awareness is by learning about themselves through their life stories and the obstacles they overcame along the way. George writes that “No longer is leadership about being charismatic, emulating others or acting like a leader without going through rigorous self-reflection”. George has witnessed that employees, particularly millenials, “yearn to see their leaders not as figureheads, but as real people, authentically struggling with challenges just as they do”.

George refers to the following four key areas to focus on to discover your True North (authentic self):

  • Become an Authentic Leader – “Authentic Leaders align people around shared purpose and values and empower them to lead authentically to create value for all stakeholders”, writes George. The key to becoming an authentic leader is to “engender trust and and develop genuine connections with others”. The trust-building process is the vital ingredient that enables leaders to motivate their employees to achieve higher levels of performance.
  • Develop Self-Awareness – George writes that “to become self-aware, you need to understand your life story, process and accept your crucibles and then incorporate both reflection and honest feedback as regular habits in your life”.
  • Understand Your Values – “You’ve got to define for yourself what you stand for and draw the line”, writes George. Identifying and living by one’s core values is an integral part of authentic leadership.  George quotes HBS colleague Clay Christensen, who explained in his book How Will You Measure Your Life?, that “It’s easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is 98% of the time. If you give in to ‘just this once’, based on a marginal cost analysis, you’ll regret where you end up”.
  • Integrate Your Life – George is a strong believer in having a healthy work-life balance. He writes that authentic leaders are aware of the importance of “spending time with their families and close friends, getting physical exercise, having spiritual practices, doing community service and returning to places where they grew up”. Having such an integrated life enables authentic leaders to stay grounded, which is “essential to their effectiveness as leaders because it enables them to preserve their authenticity”.

George concludes his article by stating that “To find fulfillment in your life and to become an authentic leader, you need to discern the purpose of your leadership and then make the commitment to pursue it authentically, without getting caught up in the trappings of leadership that result in money, fame and power”.

Are you in touch with your True North?