Books True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)
Books and Publications Average Rating:

Rating: - Great leadership book
One of the things I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking on recently has to do with authentic leadership. For most of my ministry life, I have been taught that the leader is full of strength, always knows the answer and is clear on what is happening and where the team/organization is going. While I believe those are qualities of good leadership, that isn't always the case. There are moments of uncertainty, the fog rolls in on your ideas and sometimes you are weak and need your teammates to carry you.

But how do you balance the two? How do you have those moments and not lose any of your followers? Enter Bill George's book True North. George defines authentic leadership as "finding something you are passionate about and then inspiring others to join the cause."

One of the things I appreciated about this book was how many stories he shared. He highlighted leaders from countless walks of life and industries and walked through how they led authentically, led out of who they were, their stories, but still had followers and led successful organizations.

One of the things that I think many leaders struggle with, but was a large part of this book is leading from their story. Our stories, upbringings, schooling, family situation, etc. make us who we are and impact our leadership greatly.

Because of my story it is important that Revolution call men to be men, is simple, white hot when it comes to evangelism. Those are just a few of the things that my story bring to the table when it comes to leadership and how I lead Revolution. The reason this is important is because "when the 75 members of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council were asked to recommend the most important capability for leaders to develop, their answer was nearly unanimous: self-awareness."

Here are a few things that jumped out:

Rather than waiting to get to the top to become leaders, authentic leaders looked for every opportunity to lead and to develop themselves.

If we believe that leadership is just about getting others to follow us and do our bidding as we climb the organization ladder, we risk being derailed.
To become authentic leaders, we must discard the myth that leadership means having legions of supporters following our direction as we ascend to the pinnacles of power. Only then can we realize that authentic leadership is about empowering others on their journeys.

Only when leaders stop focusing on their personal ego needs are they able to develop other leaders.

It is often during hard times in your life that you realize that authentic leadership is not about advancing yourself and your personal interests. Rather, it is the capacity to inspire others to bring out their best.

Too many leaders believe that by being the smartest person in the room, they can use their intellect to carry the day. As a result, they overpower less forceful voices that may have the vital ideas, insights, answers they need to succeed.

One of the most difficult things in becoming self-aware is seeing ourselves as others see us.

"Leaders with principles are less likely to get bullied or pushed around because they can draw clear lines in the sand." (Narayana Murthy)

One of the more interesting quotes in the book came from former Vanguard CEO Jack Brennan who said, "The dissatisfied people I have known and those who experienced ethical or legal failures all had a clear career plan." Meaning, learn to go with the flow and take what life throws at you. In leadership, you must be fluid.

All in all, a great read.

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Rating: - Thought provoking
Another way of looking at personal development, I found it had some interesting ideas/aspects, but seemed to have missed others.Thought provoking.

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Rating: - the need for authenticity
"True North"- Discover your authentic leadership"- the mere title grabbed me .
Perhaps there is an inherent desire for people to be truthful and to seek true direction.

The book has an appeal for everyone. Everyone is in some way a leader. This book is most assuredly one for anyone.

During a recent hospitalization my surgeon told me the title of the book he was reading .He said it was "fascinating" . He said he gets up at 5:45a.m. to read a portion each morning.
When I was home and able to get to the computer I ordered it.

It is broken down into segments. It can be used as a periodic but ongoing exercise to improve one's lifestyle. It can confirm, correct and/or inspire.

My overall impression was - being a good example is "powerful", contrary to- being "powerful" is a good example.

As soon as my son returns the book- I will read it again. My hairdresser
wanted to borrow it as well.

My doctor was right- it is a fascinating book.

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Rating: - No One Can Be An Authentic and Effective Leader By Trying To Be Someone Other Than Themselves
One of America's most successful executives Bill George (Medtronic) and Peter Sims provide, in "True North," us with a manual on "how-to" discovering and build on our unique and authentic leadership story. Their approach is based on what is most important to you, your most cherished values, your passions and motivations, the sources of satisfactions in your life. Your "True North," according to the authors, is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life and helps you stay on track. When aligned with one's True North, one finds coherence between their life story and their capacity to lead.

George and Sims interviewed 125 leaders, ages 23 to 93, from many walks of life as foundation for "True North." All interviewed described a turning point in their lives - a crucible - that transformed them into the leaders they are today. There are over 100 such stories in this book including those of Howard Schultz, George Shultz, David Gergen, Charles Schwab, Andrea Jung, and Wendy Kopp. Their leadership success emerges from their life story.

These stories point out the reality "that no one can be authentic by trying to be like someone else." Leaders are defined by their unique life stories and the way they frame their stories to discover their passions and the purpose of their leadership.

The book is segmented into three major sections: I., Leadership is a Journey; II., Discover Your Authentic Leadership; and III., Empowering People to Lead. A practical five-part program is outlined in Section II for developing one's best self and shows how authenticity and integrity shape great leadership. This five part development program includes:

* Knowing yourself
* Practicing your values and principles
* Learning what motivates you
* Building a support team
* Staying grounded and integrating your life

"True North" not only provides a path for authentic leadership but highlights why this type of leadership is both necessary and wanted...it is about a very different kind of leader, one who is ethically grounded, one that we can be proud to follow. Ethically grounded leadership is possible and it is, most often, the most effective (authentic) leadership of all.