Lead true by Bill George

These are my takeaways from reading the book Lead true - authentic leadership rediscovered by Bill George:

Why is it important that people find a purpose and search for meaning?

• Pages 19 - 22: Authenticity has become the gold standard of leadership. To be authentic, find and live your values and purpose, lead with your heart, establish connected relationships and demonstrate self discipline. Authentic leaders are constantly growing.

• Page 68: The most important element of leadership is having a clear purpose that makes your life meaningful.

• Page 83: Over many years, Bill George thought he had to be perfect and not show vulnerability. When he was in his forties, Bill George realized that vulnerability is strength - not weakness. He started opening up and communicating about his mistakes, weaknesses and fears. The result of this change of thinking and behaviour was that he felt better and improved relationships with others.

• Page 105: If you are a teacher, do not go into a classroom, unless you really want to learn from students.

• Page 135: The best innovators are rule breakers, who don't fit the corporate mold. They are often threatening to middle managers, who follow standard practices. That's why leaders must protect projects, budgets, and careers of innovators.

How does a person find a purpose?

• Page 44: Turning a painful event in your life into a growth experience can show you the way to your life's purpose.

• Page 46: When Bill George was 10, Bill's father told Bill that he wanted him to become the leader he had failed to be. Later, as Bill was in high school, he got the feedback from fellow students that he was moving so fast that he didn't have time for other people. That helped Bill George to realize that he was seeking titles to gain people's esteem rather than helping other people.

• Page 76: Thinking about what you learned from disappointments, you had in the past, can help you to grow.

• Page 84: To heal wounds, you have gotten in your life, work on getting over the fear of being yourself.

• Page 134: At Medtronic, failures in the 1980s led to far more sophisticated ways of treating heart disease in the 1990s.

Why is love important?

• Page 87: Deep personal connections help decrease stress, anxiety and risk of depression.

• Page 88: We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to.

• Page 95: People have 4 drives: Searching for meaning, bonding with others, security, and material acquisition.

Additional research from the book

• Page 178: When a crisis hits, apologize and take responsibility for the crisis. Go to the scene of the incident and meet personally with the people affected. 

• Page 193: Unilever COO Harish Manwani: If 70% of our future business comes from emerging markets, then 70% of our leaders must come from emerging markets.

• Page 195: The diversity of the top leadership team must reflect the diversity of customers. 

• Page 266: To become a top performing company, select a diverse leadership team that reflects the diversity of customers. Ensure that everyone feels fully included a an important member. 

To be continued.