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Finding Your True North: A Personal Guide
Based on Bill George’s bestselling book True North , this personal guide offers leaders a comprehensive method for identifying their unique “True North.” The book offers methods for personal reflection and includes targeted exercises that help leaders hone in on the purpose of their leadership and developing their authentic leadership skills.
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Bill George
21 books56 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Bill George is an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, where he has been a Professor of Management Practice and Senior Fellow teaching leadership since 2004. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as president and chief operating officer, was chief executive officer from 1991-2001, and board chair from 1996-2002. Earlier in his career, he was a senior executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense.
Bill is the author of: Emerging Leader Edition of True North, Discover Your True North and The Discover Your True North Fieldbook, Authentic Leadership, True North, Finding Your True North, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis and True North Groups.
He has served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target,and the Mayo Clinic. He is a life director of the Guthrie Theater, and is an executive committee and board member of YMCA of the North. He has served on the board ofWorld Economic Forum USA, and board chair for Allina Health System, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, and Advamed.
In 2014, the Franklin Institute awarded him the Bower Award for Business Leadership and he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012. He was named one of the "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years" by PBS; "Executive of the Year-2001" by the Academy of Management; and "Director of the Year-2001-02" by the National Association of Corporate Directors. Bill is a frequent contributor to CNBC, Fortune Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal and makes frequent appearances on television and radio.
He received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech, his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar, and honorary PhDs from Georgia Tech, Mayo Medical School, University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College and Bryant University. During 2002-03 he was professor at IMD International and Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne, Switzerland, and executive-in-residence at Yale School of Management.
He and his wife Penny reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Bill George is an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, where he has been a Professor of Management Practice and Senior Fellow teaching leadership since 2004. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as president and chief operating officer, was chief executive officer from 1991-2001, and board chair from 1996-2002. Earlier in his career, he was a senior executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense.
Bill is the author of: Emerging Leader Edition of True North, Discover Your True North and The Discover Your True North Fieldbook, Authentic Leadership, True North, Finding Your True North, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis and True North Groups.
He has served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target,and the Mayo Clinic. He is a life director of the Guthrie Theater, and is an executive committee and board member of YMCA of the North. He has served on the board ofWorld Economic Forum USA, and board chair for Allina Health System, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, and Advamed.
In 2014, the Franklin Institute awarded him the Bower Award for Business Leadership and he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012. He was named one of the "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years" by PBS; "Executive of the Year-2001" by the Academy of Management; and "Director of the Year-2001-02" by the National Association of Corporate Directors. Bill is a frequent contributor to CNBC, Fortune Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal and makes frequent appearances on television and radio.
He received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech, his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar, and honorary PhDs from Georgia Tech, Mayo Medical School, University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College and Bryant University. During 2002-03 he was professor at IMD International and Ecole Polytechnique in Lausanne, Switzerland, and executive-in-residence at Yale School of Management.
He and his wife Penny reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 2, 2012
Although this is a book for a leadership class I am taking in my graduate program, I am finding it really insightful when applied to my spiritual and personal life. I am seeing some places I thought as strengths end up being my weakness. I am only 4 chapters into it.
Most of my leadership experience has been in the realm of non-profit organizations, specifically in education and religion. Having more experience with people from a religious perspective is probably something not usually looked at in this MLIS program, but with my undergraduate work in religious Studies, and my personal spiritual life, has all accumulated into my current authentic self.
I have learned that I am a natural leader, but I have learned to be flexible and to stand behind what I know to be right. More importantly, as I discovered in retrospect after reading page 15 what “the greatest fulfillment in leading” is for me: Helping people explore their spiritual potential through information and support. I had not realized this up until now.
Another point made by the authors in this workbook concerned the “hazards” of my own development in authentic leadership; they outlined several destructive behaviors on page 19 which I could identify with, but one stood out immediately. I often feel like an imposter in responsible situations in work. I tend to worry so much about over-achieving that I sometimes forget the focus of the goal; I am also often in competition with myself versus others, trying to prove something. I felt some hope as it seems this isn't necessarily a bad trait to have, since it can be funneled into positive changes.
“Worrying about your abilities, questioning whether you can handle a new challenge by yourself, sometimes having to display public confidence when you have private doubts, or recognizing your need to develop additional areas of knowledge and skill can all be characteristics of a healthy, authentic leadership. It is when the doubt becomes your driving force that the problems begin” (p.20).
Most of my leadership experience has been in the realm of non-profit organizations, specifically in education and religion. Having more experience with people from a religious perspective is probably something not usually looked at in this MLIS program, but with my undergraduate work in religious Studies, and my personal spiritual life, has all accumulated into my current authentic self.
I have learned that I am a natural leader, but I have learned to be flexible and to stand behind what I know to be right. More importantly, as I discovered in retrospect after reading page 15 what “the greatest fulfillment in leading” is for me: Helping people explore their spiritual potential through information and support. I had not realized this up until now.
Another point made by the authors in this workbook concerned the “hazards” of my own development in authentic leadership; they outlined several destructive behaviors on page 19 which I could identify with, but one stood out immediately. I often feel like an imposter in responsible situations in work. I tend to worry so much about over-achieving that I sometimes forget the focus of the goal; I am also often in competition with myself versus others, trying to prove something. I felt some hope as it seems this isn't necessarily a bad trait to have, since it can be funneled into positive changes.
“Worrying about your abilities, questioning whether you can handle a new challenge by yourself, sometimes having to display public confidence when you have private doubts, or recognizing your need to develop additional areas of knowledge and skill can all be characteristics of a healthy, authentic leadership. It is when the doubt becomes your driving force that the problems begin” (p.20).
July 30, 2018
Point of the book is that authentic leadership must be based on your deepest values. The book is full of stories of CEOs (mostly dudes), and is written from a male perspective. For example, a wife and family is considered an important “part” of the leader’s support system. And a man is commended and supported for being such a good father for having to change his schedule to take his kids to school. One guy even reduced his travel after his kids were born!There is no acknowledgement whatsoever of what it does to your career to birth babies, feed them from your body, not sleep for years, teach them, do the logistics, carry the mental load, the tremendous all encompassing love, and still wrestle with the guilt from people who believe mothers who can, should be at home with their kids. Alas, it was fascinating to get a window into how much other stuff men get to think about when they’re not bothered by these things.
August 24, 2019
Self-help book for MBAs. Lots of anecdotes and stories from various (mostly male) CEOs if that's the type of role model you aspire to become. I didn't get any "aha" moments from reading this book. The first two sections were okay, and the last section about your true north was somewhat helpful, but nothing out of the ordinary. I appreciated the call-out to meditation as a resource/technique. Overall though, I can't say that I'm much closer to finding my true north after reading this book.
February 22, 2018
I remember liking a lot of it and reading some great stories, but the fact that I can’t remember any of them or any takeaways a couple of years later probably means it wasn’t very memorable for me.
May 29, 2019
Another self help book.
August 3, 2012
Practical and inspiring, this book steps you through effective leadership principles and helps you discover your authentic leadership style.
Creating your own personal leadership plan then helps you consciously choose how you want to be and what action to take to be a truly great leader.
Creating your own personal leadership plan then helps you consciously choose how you want to be and what action to take to be a truly great leader.
November 30, 2016
An excellent, motivational read with plenty of thought provoking questions that force you to examine what kind of leader you are, and what your True North is. Highly recommend for sales professionals or anyone in a leadership role.
February 5, 2013
very thorough process, not sure it was anything new though
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews