March 15, Launch of True North

This is a day that I have been waiting for the last two years, as today marks the launch of my new book, True North. I am finally back in Minneapolis after a week with our family in the Galapagos and then teaching a dozen classes at HBS and Elon University this week.

This noon I will be giving an address on “Leadership in the 21st Century” at the Westminster Town Hall Forum in Minneapolis, which will be broadcast on public radio. (A copy of my talk is you would like to read it.) Wednesday night we will host a panel discussion at the Minneapolis Public Library with eight of our interviewees on how their life stories and their crucibles have shaped their leadership.

Yesterday I taped the NOW Show with David Brancaccio that will air on public television across the country on Friday evening, around 8pm EDT. David´s interview got into everything from executive compensation to changes in Sarbanes Oxley, the future of capitalism, and the challenge of choosing the right leaders to run companies.

You might also be interested in this week´s Fortune “Most Admired Companies” issue (March 19, 2007) that includes long excerpts from True North on the leaders of its featured companies: Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Kevin Sharer of Amgen, Anne Mulcahy of Xerox, and John Donahoe of E-Bay.

Now that the book is on the market, I would love to get your feedback on its themes and ideas, and especially the ways in which they apply to you and your life.

And please encourage your friends and colleagues to pick up a copy of True North.

Sincerely,

Bill

(For copies of my other Bill George speeches, click here: True North and Authentic Leadership Speeches)