Discover Your True North

by Bill George

“My inspiration comes from seeing my father broken from the 30 terrible blue-collar jobs he had over his life, where an uneducated person just did not have a shot,” Schultz said. These memories led Schultz to provide Starbucks employees access to health coverage,

Let your past experiences and hardships be opportunities to be a leader and innovator in other people's lives. Pay it forward.

When I live in this society, you do get fairly materialistic. I am disappointed. I am probably more materialistic today than I was before. Money is very seductive. You have to watch out for it, because the more you have it, you get used to comforts, and big houses and vacation homes and doing whatever you want. However much you say that you will not fall into the trap of it, you do fall into the trap of it.

If the honest answers are simply power, prestige, and money, you are at risk of being trapped by external gratification as your source of fulfillment.

It can be difficult to talk with subordinates or their boards about their biggest problems and deepest fears. Friends outside the organization may not understand their challenges. Sharing their doubts openly may set off rumors. Sometimes it is even difficult to share these concerns with spouses or mentors.

Fear of looking weak.

Maybe he started to define himself by his net worth instead of his self-worth.

I just listened to what customers wanted.”

The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower other people to lead.

Use the event to transform your wound into a pearl.

but you seem more interested in getting ahead than you are in helping other people.

To protect yourself from harm, you may develop a false self by building protective layers. In so doing, you become less authentic.

He worked extremely hard but couldn't understand why his colleagues resented his long hours and aggressiveness in pushing for results. “I thought my accomplishments spoke for themselves,” he recalled. “It never occurred to me that my level of energy intimidated and offended other people.”

If I've got nothing to hide and admit my faults before you can call them out, what are you going to do to me?

Leadership principles are values translated into practice.

“Building goodwill, being honest and kind, and paying your bills along life's pathway will serve you when you're down and out.”

The key to developing as an authentic leader is not eschewing your extrinsic motivations but balancing them with intrinsic motivations that provide fulfillment in your work.

when at age 37 he founded Charles Schwab & Company.

It's never too late.

“I always put the customer on top of a stool whose four corners are value, customer service, technology, and best price,”

Schwab's passion for helping Americans achieve financial independence is an intrinsic motivation that in the end made him wealthy.

After college, Thiry worked hard to maintain close contact with a handful of friends, traveling to see them and organizing reunions throughout the year. He also let them know how much their friendship meant to him.

True North Groups,

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This grounding is essential to their effectiveness as leaders because it enables them to preserve their authenticity.

To find that delicate balance, it is essential to set clear boundaries between work and home life.

It is critical not to abandon these routines when you're facing an especially busy period,

“You have to realize that it's not about you,”

If supporters merely follow the leader, they are limited by the leader's vision.

Where is the spiritual value in rowing? The losing of self entirely to the cooperative effort of the crew as a whole.

All Cornell and Schultz had to do was show up. Being at important events or engaging on the front lines at unexpected times means a great deal to people and enables them to take their leaders off their proverbial pedestals and see them as real people.

Treat others as equals Listen actively Learn from people Share life stories Align around the mission

If the organization's leaders can demonstrate how employees can fulfill their purpose while achieving the organization's mission, then alignment can occur.

It isn't the DaVita culture that is weird, but rather the companies that have emotionally sterile environments that don't inspire people in their work.

Your style should be the outward manifestation of your authentic leadership.

“You cannot sustain long-term shareholder value unless you create sustainable value for your customers, while assuring fairness to all stakeholders: customers, employees, investors, vendor partners, governments, and society.”

If you combine the spirit of capitalism with fairness, decency, transparency, and honesty, the result is compassionate capitalism.”