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November 2007: The stories which shape you |
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A number of times when clients
have asked for help: ‘what should I do?’, my
response has been ‘it’s not what you do, it’s who you are’….and then we work
on who that person is. Who are you?
What is your True North, your inner compass? Bill George, former CEO and now Professor of Management Practice,
Harvard Business School, writes about authentic leadership in True North (Notes 1,3) . Bill interviewed 125 world-class leaders to
discover how leaders are successful. He learnt that one’s life story is what
defines a leader. It’s not about ‘embracing the company’s normative leadership
style, sending them to training to bring their styles into line.’ “Being an authentic leader means being true to who you are and what you believe in. You understand the
purpose of your leadership, and you practice your values consistently. It's
not just about having good values, but actually practicing them, especially
under pressure. It's about leading
with your heart, not just your head -- so you're leading as a whole person.
And when I talk about matters of the heart, I'm referring to qualities like
empathy, compassion, passion, and courage.” (Note
2) -
know who you are: your values, strengths, passions,
motivations, what satisfies you, your character -
your inner compass guides you in good times and bad -
trouble comes from seeking glory, ego, charisma, image,
wanting people to follow you, adore you; “leaders who focus on external
gratification instead of inner satisfaction find it difficult to stay
grounded” (Note 3) -
leadership is about others, serving other people -
this takes a lifetime of learning and testing,
reflecting and knowing oneself -
take responsibility for your own development,
surround yourself with people who can help you “True North is the internal compass that guides you
successfully through life” (Note 3) “We learned that the hardest person you'll ever have to
lead is yourself. If you can lead yourself, leading others is easy” (Note 2) Your
story defines your leadership…. “We learned that our life stories are so much more
important than our traits, characteristics, leadership styles, or the training
programs that companies teach about competencies and skills. Those pale by
comparison with the importance of knowing your life story and being true to
it.” (Note 2) Virtually all leaders interviewed found their passion to lead through
the uniqueness of their life stories. They were not trying to emulate other
leaders, or live up to external lists of leadership characteristics. As the author of your story: -
connect the dots between your past and your future -
think about the people and experiences that have
shaped you; reflect on the key turning points -
what is your passion?
What’s important to you? What satisfies you? What are your strengths? -
who can help you
through this learning process, self reflection and action? Build a support
team “Brilliance comes only from
exploiting your strengths” (Note 3) Notes: (1) As the CEO of Medtronic, the world's leading
medical technology firm, George increased the company's market cap by 35% a year,
taking the company from $1.1 billion to $60 billion in 10 years. He is a
professor of management practice at (2) (3) “True North” by Bill George and Peter Sims (2007) -------------------- This article… …aims to provide you and your teams with information for your professional
and personal development. Topics are
based on areas of interest raised by clients and colleagues, with material
drawn from journals, books, articles and shared experiences. Add / Remove: Please send an email to:
info[at]amandahorne[dot]com[dot]au Back copies of previous
articles: www.amandahorne.com.au/html/resources.html © |
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