Introduction
Bill George is a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of True North. In an interview, Bill George brings up the topic of authentic leadership, a major subject of his books. George says that leadership is not a style or manner of speaking. An authentic leader is a person who gives people values, being emotional and empathic. In order not to burn out and achieve high results, it is necessary to realize the value of people. This applies both to customers and employees and to the entire society in which the company operates. These ideas are critically important because many people think that leadership is innate or dependent on personality characteristics. Bill George dispels this myth and argues that the main thing is to take care of people and appreciate them. Thus, everyone can become a successful and authentic leader if they develop empathy, compassion and realize human worth.
Discussion
Especially valuable are Bill George’s comments on the leader’s journey. First of all, an important stage of preparation is essential. This stage of the journey can take up a major part of life. Preparation does not include training; it refers to the development of the ability to self-reflection. Only by realizing one’s personality, the value, and the stages of the life path, one can become a true leader. The immediate stage of leadership should include continuous learning and self-improvement. Finally, an equally important stage comes life after direct leadership. At this point, people should think about what else they need to do to improve the life of society. These three steps are important to understand for those who want to become authentic leaders. They give the impression that the basis of authentic leadership is not a set of skills, but the ability to realize oneself, one’s path, strengths, and weaknesses.
Assistance in the Development of Leadership Capabilities
Bill George’s words about authentic leadership can help me a lot. To become a leader, I need to understand that the leader’s qualities are not innate but develop throughout life. I understand that I have to reflect on my life path to be able to become a leader. I need to realize that everyone can make mistakes on their life path, and this is not a reason to give up. Thanks to the words of Bill George, I can appreciate where I am on the leader’s journey. At the moment, my life path is comparable to the stage of preparation. Currently, I need to develop a special empathy to treat my subordinates with understanding. In addition, I must realize my values to then carry the acquired values to the community and customers.
Conclusion
Bill George talks about the need to value others, both clients and employees of the organization. It seems to me that I always treat people with respect and understanding, which should help me along the way in my development. I have a high capacity for self-reflection, so it will not be difficult for me to understand my strengths and weaknesses. Through constant work on myself, I can become an authentic leader. I will be able to create a strong team around me and make a serious contribution to social development.