3 Skills That Will Instantly Point to Someone With Good Leadership
Leaders today must lead not just with their heads but with their hearts. They must have passion for their work, compassion for the people they serve, empathy for their fellow employees and the courage to make bold decisions.
Leading with your heart is neither easy nor soft. It takes considerable effort and many experiences to develop the qualities of your heart. As Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh once said, “The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.”
Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic and currently a professor at Harvard Business School, has called us to this journey in many of his writings and thought-leadership. He just released a new book called Emerging Leader Edition of True North, co-written with Millennial entrepreneur and CEO Zach Clayton.
The stories in this book, which came from 220 interviews with exceptional leaders, illustrate that most authentic leaders who lead with their hearts first discovered their True North through their life stories and crucibles, developed self-awareness, and then found their North Star – the purpose of their leadership. The book includes wisdom learned from leaders like Satya Nadella, Mary Barra, Ken Frazier, Indra Nooyi, Ursula Burns, and Hubert Joly.
To lead with your heart, George walks us through three key steps.