Book Review: True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership
Character is the single most important asset of a president.
—Harry Truman
[Character] without capacity usually means weakness in a leader, but capacity without character means danger.
—David Gergen
True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life. It represents who you are as a human being at your deepest level. It is your orienting point… that helps you stay on track as a leader.
—Bill George
Bill George takes the mental model of the “moral compass” to another living in his book True North. True North presents a process that one can go through to begin to know themselves better and use that knowledge to become a more effective leader.
True North can be divided into two parts: concepts and stories in one part and exercises in the other part. After each chapter the reader is referred to the appendix where the reader is invited to explore their deepest values, motivations, and capabilities.
In the course of reading this book, there were several strange questions that I had to keep asking. If you have worked your way through all of the exercises and still have the energy for a kind of Zen koan, consider these:
What is the meaning of “True North” if your position is at 90 degrees north latitude? What is the significance of “True North” if you are standing at 90 degrees south latitude? Where is ”True North” if you are traveling through outer space? What does north mean if you are not operating in Cartesian or cylindrical, rather than a spherical coordinate system?
If you do not understand the meaning of these questions or consider them to be frivolous, then forget I asked: it’s not important. But some very few might see where I am going and recognize the puzzle therein.
Key Concepts
Key concepts are either recurring themes or strong individual points made with a fairly general application. Books with a more theoretical bent will have more “key concepts.”
- The definitive profile of a leader has never been found. “Leadership has many voices. You need to be who you are, not try to emulate somebody else.”—Kevin Sharer
- Find something you are passionate about and then inspire others to join the cause. This is the essence of authentic leadership.
- The five dimensions of an authentic leader are:
- Purpose with passion: Knowing oneself and embracing their purpose.
- Values: Integrity is required of every leader. Leaders must be true to their values, even under pressure.
- Heart: Passion for your work, compassion for the people you serve, empathy for others around you, and courage for making difficult decisions.
- Enduring relationships: People do not commit themselves to a leader without access and depth of relationship.
- Self-discipline: Setting high standards for oneself, accepting responsibility, and admitting ones mistakes.
- Your leadership is defined by your life story, and by the way that you frame that story. You can tell a victim story, or something more inspirational (like a learning experience). “The story of your life is not your life. It is your story.”
Useful Features
Useful features are like pages, diagrams, or tables that one might bookmark or dog-ear for quick reference. Books oriented toward application will generally have more “useful features.”
- Exercises for Developing Authentic Leadership (pp. 219-40)
Publisher’s Blurb
From the dust jacket:
True North shows how anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader. This leadership tour de force is based on research and first-person interviews with 125 of today’s top leaders—with some surprising results. In this important book, acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill George shares the wisdom of these outstanding leaders and describes how you can develop as an authentic leader. True North presents a concrete and comprehensive program for leadership success and shows how to create your own Personal Leadership Development Plan centered on five key areas:
- Knowing your authentic self
- Defining your values and leadership principles
- Understanding your motivations
- Building your support team
- Staying grounded by integrating all aspects of your life
True North offers an opportunity for anyone to transform their leadership path and become the authentic leader they were born to be.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
The Authors
Editor’s Note by Warren Bennis
Foreword by David Gergen
Introduction: True North
Part 1: Leadership is a Journey
Chapter 1: The Journey to Authentic Leadership
Chapter 2: Why Leaders Lose Their Way
Chapter 3: Transformation from “I” to “We”
Part 2: Discover Your Authentic Leadership
Chapter 4: Knowing Your Authentic Self
Chapter 5: Practicing Your Values and Principles
Chapter 6: What Motivates You to Be a Leader?
Chapter 7: Building Your Support Team
Chapter 8: Staying Grounded: Integrating Your Life
Part 3: Empowering People to Lead
Chapter 9: Leadership with Purpose and Passion
Chapter 10: Empowering People to Lead
Chapter 11: Honing Your Leadership Effectiveness
Epilogue: The Fulfillment of Leadership
Appendix A: Research Study on Development of Authentic Leaders
Appendix B: Authentic Leaders Interviewed for True North
Appendix C: Leadership Exercises for Each Chapter
References
Index
Key Terms from the Index
authentic leaders, Bennis (Warren), Campbell (Bill), Carlson Companies, Chizen (Bruce), Dillon (Dave), Dubinsky (Donna), Dunn (Debra), empowering others, friends, Fudge (Ann), integrated life, journey to authentic leadership, Jung (Andrea), Komisar (Randy), leadership, losing sight of True North, McGovern (Gail), mentors, motivation, Mulcahy (Anne), Murthy (Narayana), Nelson (Marilyn), optimizing leadership effectiveness, passions, principles, Schultz (Howard), self-awareness, style of leadership, support team, values, Vasella (Daniel), Welch (Jack)
