Entelechy Speaks to Bill George about Authentic Leadership

Ive had the pleasure and honor to meet some of the worlds greatest leaders and leadership gurus, from Sir Richard Branson, General Tommy Franks, and Captain Mike Abrashoff to Dr. Warren Bennis, Dr. Henry Mintzberg, and Tom Peters.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Bill George, former chairman and chief executive of Medtronic, Inc., the worlds leading medical technology company, and author of the best-selling book, Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value.

Bill George speaks boldly against the shareholders are king philosophy that has created many of the problems facing businesses today. With corporate accounting scandals rampant and CEOs being handsomely rewarded even while their companies are rushing headlong to failure, George believes that leaders must reexamine their values and principles and refocus their companies on the things that create true sustainable value: satisfied customers serviced through valued employees.

In the pursuit of shareholder not customer value, CEOs have been driven to pursue quick riches almost always at the expense of long-term growth and customer service. Worse, this misguided...