Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value

The day after I read this brilliant book, I read an article in the Dallas Morning News (Tuesday, September 30, 2003) in which sportswriter Gerry Fraley discusses the Minnesota Twins whose payroll is $110-million less than that of the Yankees. (The Twins won 90 games this past season and had just defeated the Yankees in the first game of the American league playoffs.) As Fraley notes, the Twins are renowned for how they treat their people. One of them is Al Newman who is currently struggling with a life-threatening illness. Here's a brief excerpt from Fraley's article:"When beloved third-base coach Al Newman was hospitalized in Chicago this month because of a brain hemorrhage, general manager Terry Ryan remained with him for the entire 11-day stay. While Newman was hospitalized, the Twins clinched the Central title at home. Manager Ron Gardenshire stopped the postgame celebration, brought out Newman's uniform top and reminded the crowd of what he had done for the club."If I understand George's key points in Authentic Leadership, both Ryan and Gardenshire offer examples of it. Specifically, they demonstrate "the highest integrity, [are] committed to building enduring organizations...who have a deep sense of purpose and are true to their core values...who have the courage to build their companies to meet the needs of all stakeholders, and who recognize the importance of their service to society." George addresses what he views as a need for new leadership when in fact the need is to increase the number of authentic leaders, not only in business but in government, religion, and the military. We need more men and women who "genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership...are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves. They are as guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind."George invites, indeed urges his reader to "rediscover the secrets of creating lasting value" in literally all areas of contemporary life. On page 6, he poses a series of questions and then in the 17 chapters and Epilogue which follow, he responds to each. However insightful those responses may be, and they are, I think the primary purpose of the questions is to guide and inform each reader's consideration of the various issues which those questions suggest. With all due respect to what George so generously shares from his own life and career, the nature and extent of the reader's own engagement in self-exploration will ultimately determine the value of this book.The material is exceptionally well-organized. The quality of writing is first-rate, and especially effective because of the conversational tone of George's observations and suggestions. Although there are frequent references in this book to "companies," the questions posed and the issues associated with them are also directly relevant to all other organizations (regardless

It seems that in the business environment everyone is suggesting one leadership style or another as a basis for becoming a great leader within your organization. Bucking that trend, author Bill George points out that to reach your greatest potential as a leader you have to be yourself. You can't be your best if you are too busy being someone else's idea of a great leader. Be authentic, and if you choose to emulate another person's leadership style then don't choose a style that represents who you really are. In short, the only way to create lasting value is to be yourself. With that slant on things clearly established from the beginning Mr. George starts an examination of the issues of leadership. For example, he discusses understanding your purpose and values, leading with heart, being true in your connected relationships, and exercising self-discipline. While many books also encourage long hours of work as an integral part of good leadership, Mr. George notes that in reality a balanced life makes you a better leader. This balance has to be there between work, family, friendships, and community service. Other areas discussed include employee motivation, setting correct priorities in the realm of business (customers, employees, and stockholders), the Seven Deadly Sins of business and how they can destroy your business overnight, and ethical dilemmas.This is a persuasive and motivating call to ethical leadership - how to become an effective leader and create an effective values oriented company while still competing in the marketplace. "Authentic Leadership" is a refreshingly independent voice among the crowd and a highly recommended read.

This book is a welcome addition to the current plethora of books on leadership because it takes leaders back to the basics. When leaders and corporations are not held accountable for their actions, greed can become the primary motivator. I recommend this book because it shows you what to avoid and where to start. I also recommend Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self as the definitive guide for personal and corporate optimization. When leaders and employees have the mental tool to be their best, they know how to make the most of every situation. Functioning as peak performers (optimizers), they do not need to manipulate others or act out of integrity. Read both of these books and give them to your staff.

If you are a young, ambitious and conscientious business leader looking for inspiration, mentorship and guidance in a business climate that has been stained by acts of arrogance, greed and stupidity, this is the book for you. Authentic Leadership is the "How-to Manual" for a new generation of business leaders. In his book, Bill George has boldly claimed his generation of business leaders as responsible the current ethics crisis in business today and is appealing for the emergence of a new kind of business leader, authentic leaders, to restore order to the global business climate. He relates his own successes and failures in a manner that is easy for young business leaders to identify with and even addresses many of the issues that you don't often find in business texts - such as finding the right balance between your home and work lives. Like many young professionals, I was baptized by fire in a business world that moved at breakneck speeds and was driven primarily by short-term results. As I have never known any other way to do business, I found Mr. George's insights into how he developed his own personal brand of leadership over the course of his career compelling. I most appreciated the fact that, unlike the arrogant texts of some other high-profile CEOs, he does not claim himself to be a model for what you and I should or should not be. His goal is to share his own experiences and allow you the opportunity to form your own opinions about what Authentic Leadership means to you. In fact, he strongly argues that it is not the place of any author or educator to relay to you what is "right" and "wrong" in terms of leadership. Instead, developing your own brand of leadership, one that continues to evolve and change as you gain experience and deal w/ failure, is the only true path to becoming an effective, Authentic Leader. He makes some very convincing arguments as to how Authentic Leaders link the long term needs of customers and employees to enhancing share holder value and he demonstrates his own encounters with morally and ethically challenging situations that serve as a reminder that all of us will have to encounter crossroads at some point in our careers.I highly recommend Bill George's book as an alternative to the plethora of academic texts on "leadership". It is personal, entertaining, motivational and, most importantly, actionable. Invest a few hours in this book and you will reap the benefits for years to come.