Authentic Leadership

by Bill George

In the wake of continuing corporate scandals there have been few, if any, CEOs that have stepped forward as models of "doing things right"--except the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Bill George. George has become the unofficial spokesperson for responsible leadership--in business, the media, and academia. In Authentic Leadership Bill George makes the case that we do need new leaders, not just new laws, to bring us out of the current corporate crisis. He persuasively demonstrates that authentic leaders of mission-driven companies will create far greater shareholder value than financially oriented companies. During George's twelve-year leadership at Medtronic, the company's market capitalization soared from $1.1 billion to $460 billion, averaging 35% per year. George candidly recounts many of the toughest challenges he encountered -- from ethical dilemmas and battles with the FDA to his own development as a leader. He shows how to develop the...