Bill George — Mindfulness Helps You Become a Better Leader

Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, I have sensed from many leaders that they want to do a better job of leading in accordance with their personal values. The crisis exposed the fallacies of measuring success in monetary terms and left many leaders with a deep feeling of unease that they were being pulled away from what I call their True North.

As markets rose and bonus pools grew, it was all too easy to celebrate the rising tide of wealth without examining the process that created it. Too many leaders placed self-interest ahead of their organizations' interests, and ended up disappointing the customers, employees, and shareholders who had trusted them. I often advise emerging leaders, "You know you're in trouble when you start to judge your self-worth by your net worth." Nevertheless, many leaders get caught up in this game without realizing it.

The Harvard Business Review | HBR Blog Network
Mindfulness Helps You Become a Better Leader
Bill George | Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School and former chair and CEO of Medtronic

Bill George reminds of two factors involved in developing authenticity and becoming a "real person" — a moral compass and a quiet mind. And he points out how maintaining a quiet mind is necessary in following one's moral compass.