Business leaders must use qualities of heart to tackle challenges: Book

Your North Star is the purpose that you pursue to make this world better for everyone, the book says.According to the authors, authentic leaders are characterised by truth-telling, transparency, and trust.

Artificial intelligence may supplement the way people use their heads, but it will never take the place of essential leadership qualities of the heart such as empathy, passion, courage, values, intuition, and purpose, says a new book on leadership.

Leadership expert Bill George and tech entrepreneur Zach Clayton's book ''True North: Leading Authentically in the 21st Century'' (Emerging Leader Edition) explores the themes of human connection, leadership, values, and identity through an entrepreneurial lens.

The authors say the book, published by Wiley, has been designed with the purpose of describing leadership principles they have learned during their careers.

''While artificial intelligence will supplement the way we use our heads, it will never take the place of essential leadership qualities of the heart such as empathy, passion, courage, values, intuition, and purpose. As leaders we must develop our hearts to grapple with complex challenges and dilemmas,'' they write.

The stories in the book come from 50 interviews with exceptional leaders and illustrate that most authentic leaders 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 authors say their book is not an analysis of the many crises in the first two decades of the 21st century or the leaders who caused them.

''Rather, this is a calling to you as emerging leaders of the next generations - Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z - to step up and lead authentically by discovering your True North and following your North Star to make this world a better place,'' they write.

The book features numerous stories of emerging leaders who are already making a difference like Kabir Barday, Abby Falik, Tracy Britt Cool, and Rye Barcott, along with pioneers from the Baby Boomer generation, like Indra Nooyi, Ken Frazier, Mary Barra, Satya Nadella, Ursula Burns, John Donahoe, and Chip Bergh.

The authors say they wrote this book to enable people to realise their full potential as an authentic leader who has a positive impact on others through their life and work.

''This book will challenge you to reflect on your leadership, your humanity, your values, and your purpose in life,'' they say.

So what are True North and North Star? ''Your True North is the moral compass that guides your actions, derived from your most deeply held beliefs, your values, and the principles you lead by. It is your internal compass, unique to you, that represents who you are at your deepest level. Just as a compass points toward a magnetic pole, your True North points toward your North Star. Your North Star is the purpose that you pursue to make this world better for everyone,'' the book says.

According to the authors, authentic leaders are characterised by truth-telling, transparency, and trust. ''By developing these three qualities - telling the whole truth, being fully transparent, and building trust with all your stakeholders - you gain credibility as an authentic leader.'' Each of the 13 chapters in the book begins with the life story of a featured leader who exemplifies the key points of that chapter. Then leadership principles and frameworks that help in applying the concept, illustrating them through the deep insights of the leaders interviewed are mentioned.

At the end of each chapter, there is a profile of an emerging leader as well as the authors' take on these ideas.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)