True North

To become authentic leaders, we must discard the myth that leadership means having legions of supporters following our direction as we ascend to the pinnacles of power. Only then can we realize that authentic leadership is about empowering others on their journeys.
This shift is the transformation from “I” to “We.” It is the most important process leaders go through in becoming authentic. How else can they unleash the power of their organizations unless they motivate people to reach their full potential? If our supporters are merely following our lead, then their efforts are limited to our vision and our directions about what needs to be done.
Jaime Irick, a graduate of West Point and rising star at General Electric, offered an insight into this process. “You have to realize that it’s not about you,” he explained.
We spend our early years trying to be the best. To get into West Point or General Electric, you have to be the best. That is defined by what you can do on your own—your ability to be a phenomenal analyst or consultant or do well on a standardized test. When you become a leader, your challenge is to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them. If you want to be a leader, you’ve got to flip that switch and understandthat it’s about serving the folks on your team. This is a very simple concept, but one many people overlook. The sooner people realize it, the faster they will become leaders.

Pottruck believes that the key to learning from failure is to avoid denial and be honest with yourself. “If you’re open, you can learn a lot more from failure than success,” he says.

is lonely at the top. Leaders know they are ultimately responsible and that the well-being of so many rests in their hands. If they fail, many people will get hurt. Some leaders simply run faster to

y. If your values are not consistent with the people you’re working with, you should not be there.

a result of this loneliness, many leaders deny their fears. They shut down their inner voice because it is too uncomfortable to hear. Instead, they start listening to the external voices pressuring them, thinking that all will be well if they can satisfy them. But the advice of outsiders is often conflicting or too painful to face, so they choose to listen only to people who reinforce their views.

Dick Kovacevich: From Athletic Field to Premier Banke

The difference with authentic leaders lies in the way they frame their stories. Their life stories provide the context for their lives, and through them they find their passion and inspiration to make an impact in the world. Novelist John Barth once said, “The story of your life is not your life. It is your story.” In other words, it is your story that matters, not the facts of your life. Our life stories are like permanent tapes playing in our heads. Over and over, we replay the events and interactions with people that are important to our lives, attempting to make sense of them and using the

Warren Bennis says, “You are the author of your life.” He advocates using our stories to provide the inspiration to create our futures.

Two thousand years ago Roman statesman Marcus Cicero declared that “old age is to be resisted.” Today the last thirty years of a leader’s journey can be the most productive and rewarding of al

Many leaders are bypassing retirement to share their experience with multiple organizations. They serve on for-profit or nonprofit boards, mentor young leaders, take up teaching, or coach newly appointed