True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership

A 288 page book by Bill George and Peter Sims
Jossey-Bass - 2007

• Authentic leadership depends on your “internal compass.” This is your "True North." It guides you toward who and what you are.
• The true leader inspires others to strive for success to achieve a shared purpose.  
• You cannot become a great leader if you cannot lead yourself.
• True north inevitably directs you to your clear purpose in life – what you can contribute and how others will remember you.
• Great leaders do not operate in a vacuum. No leader ever achieved success alone.
• You will make your greatest contributions when you are enthusiastic about your work.
• Your true north is based on your values and deepest convictions.
• There are no "born" leaders or "instant" leaders. Leadership is not a state of being. It is a journey

Discovering Your Authentic Leadership

An article by Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew McLean, and Diana Mayer
Harvard Business Review - Feb 2007

We all have the capacity to inspire and empower others. But we must first be willing to devote ourselves to our personal growth and development as leaders.

Think about the basis for your leadership development and the path you need to follow to become
an authentic leader. Then ask yourself these questions:

1. Which people and experiences in your early life had the greatest impact on you?
2. What tools do you use to become self-aware? What is your authentic self?
3. What are your most deeply held values? Where did they come from? Have your values changed significantly since your childhood? How do your values inform your actions?
4. What motivates you extrinsically? What are your intrinsic motivations? How do you balance extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in your life?
5. What kind of support team do you have? How can your support team make you a more authentic leader? How should you diversify your team to broaden your perspective?
6. Is your life integrated? Are you able to be the same person in all aspects of your life—personal, work, family, and community? If not, what is holding you back?
7. What does being authentic mean in your life? Are you more effective as a leader when you behave authentically? Have you ever paid a price for your authenticity as a leader? Was it worth it?
8. What steps can you take today, tomorrow, and over the next year to develop your authentic leadership?

How to Outsmart Activist Investors

An article by Bill George and Jay Lorsch
Harvard Business Review - May 2014

Activist hedge funds are playing a larger role in interactions between corporations and markets. Their game is simple: They buy stocks they view as undervalued and pressure management to do things they believe will raise the value. 

Although the activists sometimes have good ideas, they may push for radical course changes that can be disastrous for an organization. Its crucial to be prepared for them so as not to be led astray. 

You can tackle this challenge by:

• Having a clear strategic focus
• Analyzing your business as as activist would
• Having your external advisers lined up in advance
• Building board chemistry
• Performing against declared goals
• Not dismissing activist ideas out of hand