Authentic Leadership
I just read another great book on leadership. The best thing about "Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value," by Bill George, published by Jossey-Bass, is that George not only studies leadership, he practices it - well.
He essentially makes two points about what works in building a business that lasts. First, "leadership begins and ends with authenticity." Second, "Contrary to what the advocates of maximizing short-term shareholder value would have us believe, the best-kept secret in business is that mission-driven companies create far more shareholder value than do financially driven firms."
What is an authentic leader? George says that unlike the ego-driven persona hyped by media and movies, "authentic leaders 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."
As for the second point, "The best path to long-term growth in shareholder value comes from having a well-articulated mission that inspires employee commitment. Companies that pursue their mission in a consistent and unrelenting manner will create greater shareholder value than anyone believes possible." [See Jim Collins, "Built to Last" and "Good to Great.']
I've had the misfortune to be a manager in some companies where the president (my immediate supervisor) embodied everything that George says is wrong. Both companies went down in flames when the president lost the confidence of the people holding the purse strings. Those experiences were my early training that even though many people do a good job, and even if you can manage the income statement well, if the person at the top doesn[base ']t embody the values of the company and earn the trust of the owners, then that company is doomed.
Of course, some leaders think that the proper values are getting as much as they can and get out before the yogurt hits the fan. If you work for one of those, escape as quickly as you can.
8:19:07 PM 
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