A Clarion Call to Emerging Leaders: Step Up and Lead Now!
In True North: Emerging Leaders Edition , renowned leadership expert Bill George and Millennial tech entrepreneur Zach Clayton issue the challenge to emerging leaders—from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z—to lead their organizations authentically through never-ending crises to make this world a better place for everyone.
Emerging leaders do so by discovering their “True North”—who they are—and then finding their “North Star”—their leadership purpose. To navigate today’s complexities, George and Clayton show emerging leaders how to lead with their hearts, not just their heads, with passion, compassion, and moral courage by being true to their values to reach their full potential as they take on great challenges and navigate complex issues.
Harvard professor Bill George, with four best-selling books to his credit including the timeless classic True North , is the former CEO of Medtronic who established authentic leadership in 2003. He teams up with Zach Clayton, an emerging leader still amid his own leadership development journey, to give emerging leaders the definitive guide for leading in today’s complex world.
The Emerging Leader Edition is filled with dramatic stories from successful leaders such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Merck’s Ken Frazier to Pepsi Co’s Indra Nooyi and General Motors’ Mary Barra, and emerging leaders like One Trust’s Kabir Barday and Kanbrick’s Tracy Britt Cool of how they overcame great challenges to build highly successful organizations.
The book offers concrete suggestions for:
- Becoming an authentic leader, equipped to lead inclusively with moral clarity through challenges and crises
- Cultivating regular introspection to ground yourself with self-awareness, live your values, and use your unique strengths
- Integrating all aspects of your life—including who you are at home, at work, and in the community
- Understanding how Millennials are leading more effectively in today’s world
- Being an inclusive leader prepared to take on fraught issues like stakeholder challenges, racial and sexual equality, and sexual misconduct
- Knowing when—and how—leaders should speak out on today’s complex public issues
The Emerging Leader Edition of True North is the classic guide for every current and aspiring leader to reach their full, authentic potential.
Table of Content
Foreword vii
David Gergen
Introduction A Clarion Call to Emerging Leaders 1
Part One: Discover Yourself 13
1. Your Life Story 15
Lead Story: Kabir Barday, founder and CEO, One Trust Emerging Leader: Zach Clayton, founder and CEO, Three Ships
2. Crucibles Shape Your Leadership 37
Lead Story: Ping Fu, cofounder, Geomagic Emerging Leader: Abby Falik, founder, Global Citizen Year
3. Leading without True North 59
Lead Story: Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, Facebook Emerging Leader: Elizabeth Holmes, founder, Theranos
Part Two: Develop Yourself 79
4. Develop Self- Awareness 81
Lead Story: Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft Emerging Leader: Davis Smith, founder and CEO, Cotopaxi
5. Live Your Values 103
Lead Story: Ken Frazier, CEO, Merck Emerging Leader: Jonathan Kelly, founder, Asymmetric
6. Find Your Sweet Spot 121
Lead Story: Warren Buffett, founder, Berkshire Hathaway Emerging Leader: Tracy Britt Cool, cofounder, Kanbrick
7. Lead an Integrated Life 139
Lead Story: John Donahoe, CEO, Nike Emerging Leader: Martha Aronson, senior vice president, Ecolab
Part Three: Lead People 161
8. I to We 163
Lead Story: Nelson Mandela, president of South Africa Emerging Leader: Anjali Sud, CEO, Vimeo
9. Your North Star 177
Lead Story: Hubert Joly, CEO, Best Buy Emerging Leader: Rye Barcott, cofounder and CEO, With Honor
10. The Leader as Coach 199
Lead Story: Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors Emerging Leader: Robert Reffkin, CEO, Compass
Part Four: Navigate Today’s Challenges 223
11. Inclusive Leadership 225
Lead Story: Ursula Burns, CEO, Xerox Emerging Leader: Murisiku Raifu, MD, founder, Talamus Health
12. Leading in Crisis 245
Lead Story: Indra Nooyi, CEO, Pepsi Co Emerging Leader: Jenn Hyman, CEO, Rent the Runway
13. The Moral Leader 263
Lead Story: Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss Emerging Leader: Brad Smith, founder, Russell Street Ventures
References 281
About the Authors 289
Acknowledgments 291
Index 293
About the author
BILL GEORGE is the former Chair and CEO of Medtronic and Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he has taught leadership to MBAs and executives since 2004. He is the author of four bestselling books: Authentic Leadership, True North, Finding Your True North, and 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis. True North has been recognized as one of the 25 Best Leadership Books of All-Time. He has served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, Mayo Clinic, Exxon Mobil, Novartis, and Target.
ZACH CLAYTON is the founder and CEO of Three Ships, which operates digital marketplace businesses. He leads this fast-growing business with several hundred employees while he and his wife raise four children 5 years old and younger.