#155: Bill George, Former CEO of Medtronic — Stay connected to your front lines
Oct 5, 2023
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Former CEO Bill George shares valuable insights on staying connected to frontline employees and leading with authenticity. He discusses the importance of forging relationships, finding purpose, and focusing on long-term goals. The guest also highlights the impact of choosing the right leaders, shares the process of finding one's true north, and emphasizes the significance of valuing frontline teams.
Eliminate disconnect and build strong relationships with frontline employees to understand what is happening in the organization.
Take diverse experiences, work on the front lines, and find purpose in making a difference.
Recognize the value of frontline workers and involve them in decision-making processes for overall success.
Deep dives
Importance of Time with Customers and Frontline Employees
Bill George highlights the danger of leaders spending more time in meetings and less time with customers and frontline employees. He emphasizes the importance of eliminating the disconnect and building strong relationships with the people who work on the front lines of the organization. He encourages leaders to understand the value of spending time with customers, working on production lines, and being on the front lines to truly know what is going on in the company.
Lessons from Childhood and Early Leadership Challenges
Bill George shares how his childhood experiences and early leadership challenges shaped him into the leader he is today. He recalls his father's belief in his leadership potential and his own journey of learning leadership through failures and feedback. He highlights the importance of relationships and trust in leadership and how leadership is all about inspiring and connecting with people.
Navigating Drive and Ambition
Bill George offers advice to leaders on navigating their drive and ambition, particularly in the early stages of their careers. He recommends taking diverse experiences, working on the front lines, and realizing that everyone has one shot at life. He emphasizes the importance of making a difference in the lives of others and finding purpose in one's work.
Lessons from Work in the Defense Department
Reflecting on his work in the Department of Defense, Bill George discusses challenges he faced and the importance of being aware of what is happening at the front line of a large organization. He shares insights on the danger of not knowing what is happening at the front line and highlights the value of understanding and listening to the people who have direct knowledge and experience in the organization.
Building Strong Relationships and Recognizing Frontline Workers
Bill George emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships and recognizing the value of frontline workers. He shares examples from his experiences, such as working directly with doctors and employees on the production line. He encourages leaders to understand the impact of frontline workers and to involve them in decision-making processes, which can lead to the company's overall success.
We all have those days where we hop from meeting to meeting, only to look back on the day and wonder what we really accomplished.
If that sounds familiar, then you’re going to find a lot of value in this conversation with Bill George, the former Chairman & CEO of Medtronic.
He’s also an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and, like all of us here at How Leaders Lead, he is passionate about developing great leaders.
But he sees so many leaders spending more and more time in meetings, and less and less time with customers and front-line employees.
How can you eliminate the layers that tend to build up between you and the people who work on the front lines of your organization?
Hit play if you want to see how to do it and why it matters so much.
Plus, you’ll hear great wisdom about leading with authenticity, finding your purpose, and so much more.
You’ll also learn:
How to calibrate your ambition and drive, especially early in your career
Advice for forging a career path that fits who you are and what you want
The danger of making your job your identity—and how to avoid it
The reason behind great successions (Microsoft) and not-so-great ones (GE)
Tips for focusing on long-term goals without ignoring immediate issues
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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