Authentic Leadership

even sceptics will like the books balanced tone... (Management Today, Feb. 2005) George candidly recounts his experiences as chair and CEO of Medtronic, a medical technology producer, and makes a case that we need new, authentic business leaders. The five essential dimensions of "authentic" leaders are purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. In the scorched, post-Enron corporate world, this motivational how-to will help developing business leaders find the path to personal and business success. (Best Business Books 2003, Library Journal, March 15, 2004) George, a former Medtronic CEO, sets the tone early in his book: "Somewhere along the way we lost sight of the imperative of selecting leaders that create healthy corporations for the long term." It would be wonderful if George then provided readers hungry for change with a blueprint for how this could happen; alas, such is not the case. George's thesis - too many CEOs think only in the short term and of the stock price, eventually losing a company's focus in the hurtling pursuit of all Street validation - is not a bad one. His proposal: a call for "authentic leadership," that is, finding a leader who doesn't try to emulate the greats, because such copycatting will never result in authenticity or honest leadership. It all gets a bit fuzzy at times, and George (who BusinessWeek recognized as a top-25 manager in 1998) relies far too much on his experience at Medtronic, a medical technology producer. Although George's company seems a good example of what he's talking about (he once made headlines by boldly declaring "Shareholders come third," after customers and employees), there's not a rigor9ous enough attempt here to make that example universally applicable. Though superbly moral and inspiring, this volume is not as helpful as it could be. (Aug.) Forecast: With appearances on Meet the Press and Talk of the Nation, George has a recognizable name in the media, and scheduled interviews on NPR and the Charlie Rose Show will only help with book sales. (Publishers Weekly, July 7, 2003) "There is a great deal of valuable insight in Authentic Leadership. One can only wish that Mr. George had written it five years ago, before so many chief executives led their companies so badly astray." (New York Times, July 27, 2003)

Bill George is former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, the world's leading medical technology company. He is a board member of Goldman Sachs, Target, and Novartis and executive-in-residence at Yale. George has been recognized as "Executive of the Year" by the Academy of Management, "Director of the Year" by the National Association of Corporate Directors, and one of BusinessWeeks "Top 25 Managers." He has been widely quoted in the New York Times, Fortune, Face the Nation, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and NPR's All Things Considered. His Web site is www.authenticleaders.org.

Foreword xv Warren Bennis Preface: A New Generation of Leaders xvii Introduction: Where Have All the Leaders Gone? 1 Part One: Becoming an Authentic Leader 1. Leadership Is Authenticity, Not Style 11 2. The Transformation of Leaders 27 3. Leading a Balanced Life 45 Part Two: Building an Authentic Company 4. Missions Motivate, Dollars Don't 61 5. Values Don't Lie 71 6. It's the Customer, Stupid! 81 7. It's Not Just the CEO 91 8. Whose Bottom Line: Customers or Shareholders? 101 Part Three: In the Crucible of the Market 9. Seven Deadly Sins: Pitfalls to Growth 109 10. Overcoming Obstacles: Nothing Can Stand in Your Way 117 11. Ethical Dilemmas: When in Rome, Dont Follow the Romans 127 12. Innovations from the Heart 133 13. Acquisitions Arent Just About Money 143 14. Shareholders Come Third 153 Part Four: Beyond the Bottom Line 15. Governance Is Governance 165 16. Sticking Your Neck Out 177 17. Preparing for Succession . . . and Moving On 187 Epilogue: If Not Me, Then Who? If Not Now, When? 197 Medtronic Financial Results 201 Suggested Reading 203 Acknowledgments 207 The Author 209 Index 211