Individual charisma, authority, and external validation are passé. Leadership 2.0 is all about authenticity, intrinsic contribution, and being purpose-driven, says Bill George, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, and the author of 'True North: Emerging Leader Edition', 'Discover Your True North', 'True North', and '7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis'
Q. Socio-political events in the past two decades have led to a rethinking of ‘leadership’ as a concept. How do you view this shift in perspective?In the past two decades, authentic leaders have become the gold standard for leaders. Organisations have recognised the pitfalls of old style “command & control”—leaders who lead with ego, charisma, and power, often for their own financial gain. Today’s successful leaders like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and General Motors’ Mary Barra lead with passion for their purpose, empathy and compassion for employees and customers, and courage to make bold decisions that benefit all their stakeholders. I have been an advocate for this approach to leadership for 20 years since I wrote my first book in 2003, Authentic Leadership, and I am extremely pleased to see it become the dominant form of leadership today.