The actual North is the point that starts from each person’s individual life. At the beginning of life’s journey, it is necessary to know which paths we intend to take and in which direction we want to move. 

This issue makes our inner compass start working and shows us the right path when we feel lost at any point in life.

The book “Discovering True North” is an excellent guide to finding the compass and the true North of people. The actual North is the main point we should move towards during our life, and it helps us not deviate from forming a leader. This point consists of the most profound beliefs, values, ​​and principles guiding people. Each person’s compass belongs only to him and shows his true self in the most profound states.

Precisely, like the hands of a compass that move due to the magnetic poles, your true North will also play the same role for you. When you follow your inner compass, your leadership will be authentic, and only then will people spontaneously be interested in following you.

The True North book is profound in the field of leadership. This book is the result of the interview of the research team of Bill George, the author of the book, with more than ten successful leaders who were able to find the way of their leadership.

True North teaches us always to pay attention to the compass of our work life so as not to deviate from our authentic leadership path. Leadership begins with being authentic, and Discovering True North aims to empower you to be the leader you want to be.

After several decades of study, research, and practical experience, Bill George mapped the true North. He created one of the best books in the field of “Leadership Development through Personal Development.” Discovering the True North is based on several hundred years of experience that authentic leaders have accumulated. The reader of the book can learn from these leaders and implement their development plans to become genuine business leaders.

Introducing the book “Discovering the True North.”

To introduce the book True North and get familiar with the name of this book, imagine that on the way to the desert, you suddenly find yourself in the middle of nowhere that you had not planned to be there before. There is no GPS device available, and there is no antenna to connect to the mobile network. When the anxiety of facing the wild nature of the desert increases second by second, suddenly, your mind goes to the compass you have in your backpack. You immediately go to your bag and find the compass.

Information about where you are is not available, But you know that you have reached this point from the North; Therefore, you see the path leading North on the compass and follow the direction of the hand to save yourself from this danger finally. The concept of true North is always to be prepared to find your true North and take control of the situation when you have not planned for it. In other words, in a world that is never fixed and is constantly rotating, have a fixed point to continue the path.

From the very beginning, the book assures the reader that it does not include yellow material about leadership training; For this reason, it is written at the beginning of the book Discovering the True North that this book does not contain six simple steps to discover the actual North or other simple formulas. By the way, it has an opposite approach. According to the author, finding the true North requires learning and commitment as long as your life.

Bill George believes that it is possible to pay attention to the world in which we live now to realize that the world is drowned in many crises more than ever before; Most of these crises are rooted in the wrong leadership of world leaders. Human life has become more volatile and unpredictable in every part of the world. It seems that many leaders are generally incapable of firmly grasping the helm of the ship of their organization or, on a larger scale, of their country and guiding it to safe shores. You might imagine that exemplary leadership means that the business or organization will be on the path of generating income. Still, the book Discovering the True North does not have such an opinion. The book’s author believes that the proper leader is the one whose legacy will remain even in his absence.

Bill George: Leadership is a path, not a destination; It is a marathon, not two sprints; And it is a process, not a result

To better understand this, one can imagine Apple and its late founder and CEO, Steve Jobs; Someone who is not alive now; But due to the foundation of his intellectual structures in each cell of the Apple company, even after more than nine years have passed since his death, many of the directions of the Apple company are still in line with the thoughts of Steve Jobs.

Encourage personal abilities. Bill George believes that real leaders never struggle to prove their leadership. Instead of playing the CEO role and constantly putting their employees under pressure to achieve the company’s business goals, they try to get close to employees and encourage them to improve. In other words, instead of playing the role of boss, they act like a genuine and caring friend. In all parts of the book, Bill George reminds us that leadership is a path, not a destination; It is a marathon, not two sprints; And it is a process and not a result. Therefore, to become a successful leader, you must consider all these factors.

Parts of the book

In this book, the author introduces five factors that real leaders know about:

• Meaning and purpose: every leader should know the reason for being in a leadership position; Otherwise, arrogance and autocracy will appear.
• Adherence to values: Leaders should be concerned about the destruction of importance ​​and should walk the path of defined values.
• Heart:  A leader must put his heart and soul into work and be passionate about what he and others are doing. This ability brings courage to making tough decisions to Armaghan.
• Communication: Leaders must build trust and confidence between themselves and others. In this way, commitment becomes more apparent.
• Personal discipline: This aspect of leadership is essential; Because the leader, by trampling the rules, causes doubt in all the mentioned cases.

The first part of the book Discovering the True North is the leadership journey and has three chapters. The first chapter of this section is about the life story of Howard Schultz, Starbucks’s chairman, and CEO. In the opening chapter of the book True North, the author mentions Warren Bennis as the father of leadership science, Someone who is nicknamed not because of his beautiful appearance and charismatic face but because of his way of thinking. Warren Bennis believed that, contrary to traditional belief, leaders are not born leaders; Rather, they are made leaders. He shows that what makes a charismatic and reliable leader is not inherited abilities but the hardships and experiences that people have faced throughout their lives and have been able to come out of them proud and with a bag of knowledge and experience.

The second chapter of the book is about losing the way and also mentions the story of Rajat Gupta, the global director of McKenzie. The book’s third chapter is about complex tests, and its main story is about Daniel Vasella, the chairman and CEO of Novartis.

The book’s second part is related to cultivating people as authentic leaders. The fourth chapter in this section explains self-awareness and is associated with Ariana Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post. The next chapter deals with values ​​and mentions David Gergen, a professor at Harvard University and an adviser to the US government. The golden point is the main story of the book’s next chapter and introduces Warren Buffett, the founder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. The seventh chapter of the book is about the support team and is combined with the example of the Piper Jaffray company and Ted Piper, its chairman and CEO. The final chapter of this section refers to the integrated life that is the main story of John Donahue, the CEO of eBay.

The third and final part of the book begins with this title: “Your True North Meets the World.” This chapter is also connected with different stories of the world’s great leaders. Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, Ken Fraser, Chairman and CEO of Merck, Anna Mulcahy, Chairman and CEO of Xerox, and Paul Pullman, CEO of Unilever, are great leaders whose great personal and managerial qualities the writer wrote for writing this section of The book has benefited.

Bill George helps readers find their true North by posing 30 questions. Answering these questions is not immediate; you can think for a day and find a suitable answer. Some examples of these questions are as follows:

• Do you want your legacy to last for a few years? 10 or 20, or 50 years? What meaning and concept would you like your name to evoke?
• How would you like your employees to describe you, and how do you think they tell you now?
• When was the last time you lied, and why did you lie? What would happen if you told the truth?
• If you could only do one thing for the rest of the year, what would impact your happiness?
• Imagine next 10 to 20 years. What do you most regret not doing at that time?

About the book and the book publisher

“Discovering True North” is written for anyone who wants to become an authentic leader and discover their true North. This book is suitable for leaders in all stages of their lives, From students who aspire to be leaders to people currently working in the highest positions of organizations. You are never too young or old to experience leadership challenges and lead authentically. Discovering the True North is based on interviews with authentic leaders with several hundred years of leadership experience. In addition, Bill George has 50 years of experience in leadership roles.

This book is an excellent opportunity for its readers to learn from authentic leaders and create their development plans to become authentic leaders. Therefore, all people looking for more balance and integration in different aspects of their lives, people who are interested in leadership and wish to become better leaders, and all those who need a little help to reach higher goals can benefit from this book. to use

Discovering the True North is one of the best-selling books in the field of leadership that helps you become an authentic leader by finding your true North. The first version of the book was published in 2007 and was based on 125 exclusive interviews that author Bill George conducted with various leaders, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in the field of leadership. This book was expanded in 2015 with interviews with 48 new leaders, providing fresh and valuable insights into international leaders’ personal and professional lives of different backgrounds, ages, and experiences.

You are discovering True North shows how to use your natural leadership abilities to inspire others.

Being a leader is not limited to issues such as leadership style or management skills; it is a question of who we are as human beings and where we are headed. The concepts presented in this book are not only limited to study. In addition to all this research, Bill George, the former CEO of Medtronic, shares his experiences and personal stories with us, Experiences from the path he traveled to become an authentic leader.

We can become authentic leaders by following the comprehensive and concrete program that the book “Discovering the True North” offers. Once people discover their leadership purpose, they can reach and know the true leader that lives within them. This book also shows you how to use your natural leadership abilities to inspire and empower others to excel in today’s vast and complex world.

The title of the book in English is Discover Your True North. In 2016, Audible Studios published Brilliance Audio; Unabridged, Expanded, Updated Edition published this book. In 2019, Ariana Publications published the mentioned book in the category of personal development, human resources, leadership, and coaching, with the full title “Discovering the True North; Lead based on your inner values” and translated by Shima Ghadiri and Mohammad Reza Paydar, in 400 pages.

About the author of the book

Bill George has been a professor of practical experience management at Harvard Business School since 2004 and previously served as the chairman of the board (1996 to 2002) and CEO (1991 to 2001) of Medtronic Medical Company.

Bill George’s career began at the US Department of Defense, and he later served as a senior manager at Honeywell and Layton. Bill George is a full professor at Harvard Business School and has taught at Yale University and the International Institute for Management Development and Ecole Polytechnique in Switzerland.

Also, he works on the board of directors of companies such as ExxonMobil, Mayo Clinic, and Goldman Sachs. He has a history of being on the board of directors of Novartis, Target, and the World Economic Forum.