from True North, Bill George, 2007
True North is the internal compass that guides us successfully through life. Just as a compass points towards a magnetic pole, our True North pulls us towards the purpose of our leadership. When we follow our internal compass, our leadership is authentic, and people naturally want to associate with us. Our internal compass enables us to stay true to who we are, as we remain aligned with ourself. People trust us as we are authentic and genuine, we follow our real passions.
What ultimately distinguishes the great leaders are the personal, inner qualities : character, substance and integrity (instead of charisma, style, respectively image). As authentic leaders, we pursue purpose with passion, practice solid values (with integrity as key value), lead with heart (demonstrating courage and compassion), establish enduring relationships (based on trust and commitment) and demonstrate self-discipline (by setting high standards and holding accountable). Most leaders are self-taught and we develop ourselves constantly.
By constantly reframing our life stories we understand who we are and we unleash our passions and discover the purpose of our leadership. Our stories provide the inspiration to create our future. They include crucibles that allow us to grow. Thanks to self awareness and self compassion, we are able to connect the dots between our past and our future.
Our internal compass helps us stay focused and get back on the track of our purpose. Loosing sight of our purpose happens in several situations : we want to get ahead and let no one stand in our way (the imposter, loses purpose), we blame external forces (the rationalizer, loses values), we seek visible signs of success experiencing envy and feeling empty inside (the glory seeker, loses heart), we believe we can make it on our own and reject honest feedback (the loner, loses relationships) and we leap forward without being confronted with the results of our decisions (the shooting star, loses self-discipline).
Most leaders have experienced a transformative experience that enables us to recognize that leading is about empowering others to lead. The shift is the transformation from the “I” to the “We”. It is about empowering others to work together towards a shared purpose.
Because our circumstances, opportunities and the world around us change, we keep calibrating our compass thanks to 5 areas of development : self awareness (what is my story, what are my strengths and weaknesses), values and principles (what guides my leadership), motivations (how do I balance internal and extenal motivations), support team (who can I count on to guide me and give me honest feedback) and an integrated life (joining all aspects of our lives to find fulfillment).
How to reach authenticity : the more stress we are under, the more we revert to our old patterns. This allows our blind spots to emerge. Story telling allows us to reveal our life, fears, ambitions and failures. It is all about peeling the onion to get to the core of we believe and how we envision our place on earth. Our authentic self has several layers of protection (closest to our core moving outwards) : the first layer includes shadows, vulnerabilities, blind spots and life stories ; the second layer reveals values and motivations ; the third layer shows our strengths and weaknesses, needs and desires ; on the outmost layer we build appearance, attire, body language and leadership style. The journey of self awareness requires unconditional self-acceptance and self-compassion.
With the center of our compass solidly grounded in self-awarness and supported by self-acceptance, we are ready to focus on our purpose, inspire and attract others towards a shared purpose.
” Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life ? ” Mary Oliver.