ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page v Finding Your True North A Personal Guide Bill George Andrew N. McLean Nick Craig fpref.qxd 4/16/08 8:08 PM Page xviii ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page i Finding Your True North ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page ii ALSO BY BILL GEORGE Authentic Leadership True North ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page iii A W A R R E N B E N N I S B O O K This collection of books is devoted exclusively to new and exemplary contributions to management thought and practice. The books in this series are addressed to thoughtful leaders, executives, and managers of all organizations who are struggling with and committed to responsible change. My hope and goal is to spark new intellectual capital by sharing ideas positioned at an angle to conventional thought—in short, to publish books that disturb the present in the service of a better future. ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page iv Books in the Warren Bennis Signature Series Branden Self-Esteem at Work Mitroff, Denton A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America Schein The Corporate Culture Survival Guide Sample The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership Lawrence, Nohria Driven Cloke, Goldsmith The End of Management and the Rise of Organizational Democracy Glen Leading Geeks Cloke, Goldsmith The Art of Waking People Up George Authentic Leadership Kohlrieser Hostage at the Table Rhode Moral Leadership George True North Townsend Up the Organization Kellerman/Rhode Women and Leadership Riggio The Art of Followership Gergen/Vanourek Life Entrepreneurs Frohman/Howard Leadership the Hard Way ffirs.qxd 4/16/08 8:07 PM Page v Finding Your True North A Personal Guide Bill George Andrew N. McLean Nick Craig f f i r s . q x d 4 / 1 6 / 0 8 8 : 0 7 P M P a g e v i Copyright © 2008 by Bill George, Andrew N. McLean, and Nick Craig. All rights reserved. Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data George, Bill (William W.) Finding your true north : a personal guide / Bill George, Andrew N. McLean, Nick Craig. — 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-470-26136-1 (pbk.) 1. Leadership. 2. Organizational effectiveness. I. McLean, Andrew N., 1966- II. Craig, Nick, 1960- III. Title. HD57.7.G45814 2008 658.4'092—dc22 2008009381 Printed in the United States of America FIRST EDITION PB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ftoc.qxd 4/16/08 8:08 PM Page vii Contents Table of Exercises ix Preface Why a Personal Guide to True North? xiii By Bill George Introduction Why Authentic Leadership Development? xix Part One: Examine Your Leadership Journey 1 1 What Is Your Life Story? 3 2 Why Leaders Lose Their Way 17 3 Leadership Development in the Crucible 35 Part Two: Discover Your Authentic Leadership 47 4 Build Your Self-Awareness 49 5 Live Your Values 65 6 Find the Sweet Spot of Your Motivated Capabilities 79 7 Build Your Support Team 95 8 Integrate Your Life 111 vii