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Forbes - The Crucial Edge That Makes A Board Exceptional by Punit Renjen

Published on June 14, 2013

Which of the following is the mark of a great board room, (a) an eyebrow raised, and then a hand, quickly followed by a challenging question, or (b) nodding heads and then smiles all around, quickly followed by the next item on the agenda? ... Read more

• Penny George: What Is Integrative Medicine and Why Is It Critical to Today's Healthcare Discussion?

  Published on May 14, 2013

  Great article in Huffington Post by my wife Penny George: why integrative medicine is key to solving our nation’s health problems, speaking today at U. Wisconsin conference w/ His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Richard Davidson, Dr. Dan Goleman, Don Berwick & Arianna Huffington.

• Forbes: What Is Authentic Leadership?

  Published on May 14, 2013

  In this Forbes Magazine article, Kevin Kruse succinctly defines what authentic leaders are and why they are so important to leading successful companies. Your feedback is welcome.

• “As a Servant Leader, You Can Change the World” Commencement Address

  Published on May 7, 2013

  Commencement Address by William George Augsburg College Graduation Ceremonies on May 4, 2013

• Harvard Business School Launches New Executive Education Program On Building Global Leadership

  Published on May 6, 2013

  Designed to teach leaders how to operate successful businesses throughout the globe

• Best Buy Is Back!

  Published on April 14, 2013

  A year ago Best Buy was headed for the unending troubles that have beset retailers like Sears, Kmart, Circuit City, J.C. Penney and Mervyn’s... Things have changed dramatically since Hubert Joly was elected CEO. Joly left the CEO post of Carlson to take on dual uncertainties of Best Buy’s ownership battle and unclear strategy. And he's leading a brilliant turnaround...

• Making Minnesota A Global Mecca for Health Care

  Published on March 3, 2013

  Minnesota has exceptional resources — a committed state government, health plans, health care providers and suppliers, and progressive employers — that can make it the standard-bearer for the nation’s health. Let's strive for that goal and attract people from all over the world to Minnesota: to visit, live and improve their health.

• Best Buy Is Poised To Grow, After Buyout Drama Concludes With A Wimper

  Published on March 2, 2013

  The distractions of Best Buy founder Schulze's buyout bid have ended, and it's about time. A turnaround is underway at the retailer, and the spotlight should now turn to Best Buy's new leadership -- a courageous CEO, board chair, and newly assembled management team.

• Peer or Expert?

  Published on February 26, 2013

  By Leo Bottary for Vistage.com, published February 10, 2013 Last summer, I wrote a post titled: What Does It Take to be a Great Chair?  I wasn’t talking about a piece of furniture and the requirements of four strong legs and a comfortable seat.  I was referring of course to Vistage Chairs who professionally facilitate CEO and key executive peer advisory boards here in the U.S. and around the world.  

• HBS Course - Leading a Global Enterprise

  Published on February 25, 2013

  We are creating an exciting new Harvard Business School course, “Leading a Global Enterprise,” for global executives next July 28 - August 2, 2013. It’s a one-week compact course that will help you become a much better global executive. Here is the link for more information: http://bit.ly/TrTCBu. If this fits your interests, we would welcome your participation.

• A Deeper Dive into Conscious Capitalism

  Published on February 20, 2013

  Earlier this month I wrote a blog recommending Whole Foods founder John Mackey’s new book, Conscious Capitalism, as the most important book of the year, perhaps the decade. That's why I wrote its Foreword. As the book is hitting the business best-seller lists, some people have pushed back because they think John Mackey is anti-union. Let’s take an honest look at what he actually believes.

• HBS Webinar - Leading a Global Enterprise

  Published on February 18, 2013

  Last Tuesday I gave a webinar on “Leading a Global Enterprise” for HBS alums. You may be interested in reviewing the slides I used. Also, please consider attending our new course, “Leading a Global Enterprise,” for global executives next July 28 - August 2, 2013. It’s a one-week compact course that will help you become a much better global executive.

• Board Governance Depends On Where You Sit

  Published on February 13, 2013

  Board governance is frequently discussed and often misunderstood. In this article, I offer an insider’s perspective on the topic. Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving on ten corporate boards, as well as being chairman and CEO of Medtronic, chairman only, and CEO only. I have also observed dozens of boards from outside the boardroom and engaged in numerous confidential conversations with members of these boards about the challenges they faced and how they handled them.

• The Moral Economy

  Published on February 4, 2013

  During the World Economic Forum, I had the pleasure of participating on a panel on “The Moral Economy” with Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, and two outstanding CEOs. Here are some quick takeaways from the discussion.

• Can Meg Whitman Reverse Hewlett-Packard's Free Fall?

  Published on January 28, 2013

  On Jan. 16, Hewlett Packard (HPQ) plans to hold a ribbon cutting to show off an overhauled customer meeting center at its headquarters in Palo Alto. A year in the making, the complex creates a striking first impression. The off white 1980s vintage entryway has been updated with an ultra modern look, lots of open space and blue lighting.

• An Important New Book: "Conscious Capitalism" by John Mackey

  Published on January 21, 2013

  "Conscious Capitalism," the stunning new look at how capitalism should work by Whole Foods Founder John Mackey and Raj Sisodia, hit the market this week. The authors have completed a series of public interviews describing the book, which is certainly the most important book of the year and possibly the decade.

• The Self-Esteem of Leadership

  Published on January 18, 2013

  Pamela Hawley is the founder and CEO of UniversalGiving. In her continuing series on “7 Minutes with a CEO,” she interviewed preeminent thought leader, Bill George. Below is her interview with the former CEO of Medtronics and current professor at Harvard Business School.  She spoke with Bill about leadership and why he thinks self esteem (a rare word in leadership) is one of the most important qualities. 

• 5 Ways to Evaluate Investor Alignment Before They Write a Check

  Published on December 28, 2012

  “Do your shareholders choose you or do you choose them?  Sophisticated CEOs choose their investors by defining their particular business approach and strategy and ensuring that their investors are aligned with that program.” Bill George, former Medtronic CEO

• Making Michigan Workers Competitive Once Again

  Published on December 13, 2012

  Why all the fuss over Michigan’s new law to give workers the right to choose whether to join a labor union? The Michigan legislature has voted decisively to give workers the freedom to choose. Governor Rick Snyder signed them both within hours, calling them "pro-worker and pro-Michigan." This makes Michigan the 23rd state to pass right-to-work legislation.

• Integrative Medicine and the Transformation of Healthcare

  Published on December 7, 2012

  My wife Penny gave a brilliant speech on “Integrative Medicine and the Transformation of Healthcare” as a keynote speaker at Emory University’s Eighth Annual Symposium on Predictive Health, sponsored by the Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute.

• To Save H.P., Break It in Two

  Published on November 28, 2012

  Hewlett Packard’s $8.8 billion write down of its Autonomy acquisition is just the latest evidence of the steady decline of one of the world’s great companies. Don’t blame Meg Whitman, the chief executive. She is just cleaning up the messes created since 1999 by her three predecessors and H.P.’s strategically challenged board of directors.

• Financial Sector Directors Seek 'Clarity' After Election

  Published on November 26, 2012

  Executives and directors in the banking and financial services sector are waiting with bated breath to see whom President Barack Obama will name to key oversight posts in his second term. Those appointments, they say, will essentially predict how friendly to Wall Street the business environment will be over the next four years.

• Harvard on Detroit: It's a long road to recovery, but our “Vacancy” sign is clear to all

  Published on November 16, 2012

  Wanna be a rock star? Come to Detroit. That’s one takeaway a group of Harvard Business School professors had Thursday night during a presentation on their year long project on U.S. competitiveness.

• An Independent's Lament: Let Me Out of this Dying Breed

  Published on November 12, 2012

  I held back from the 2012 election, in part through taking the Howard Schultz pledge not to give money to any candidate until Washington decides to focus on America’s issues rather than partisan politics. No one noticed my absence except those dozens of robo-callers who learned that “William and Ann don’t live here.”

• Translating Mission & Values into Results

  Published on November 8, 2012

  Here is my interview with Bob Vanourek on how to achieve Triple Crown Leadership through ethics & values combined with high performance and leaders at all levels

• Mindfulness Helps You Become a Better Leader

  Published on October 26, 2012

  Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, I have sensed from many leaders that they want to do a better job of leading in accordance with their personal values. The crisis exposed the fallacies of measuring success in monetary terms and left many leaders with a deep feeling of unease that they were being pulled away from what I call their True North.

• Developing the Global Leader

  Published on October 26, 2012

  What skills do today's executives need to develop to become effective global leaders of tomorrow? And how do corporations teach these skills to their own leaders? "The shift from a country centric corporation to one that is more global in its outlook will have a radical impact on leadership development," says Professor of Management Practice William George, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic.

• What Does It Take To Be A Leader And For Leadership To Show Up?

  Published on October 18, 2012

  Leadership matters.  Whilst there are many ways of grappling with leadership, I value the ontological lens and in particular the ontological model of leadership that has been developed and is being taught by Werner Erhard et al. 

• Documentary: Integrity in Business with Robert Maybery

  Published on October 17, 2012

  Here is a recent documentary I did on integrity in business with Robert Maybery, a South African business executive. Your feedback is welcome. The documentary is in four parts: http://youtu.be/wvybgXJcggk

• What Business Should Do To Restore Competitiveness

  Published on October 15, 2012

  America's feeble economy reminds us every day that our global competitiveness is in trouble. Whose fault is that? As usual in today's political environment, most opinions are extreme. One camp holds that national competitiveness is the responsibility of policymakers, not business leaders, who need to focus on running their companies.

• CardioSource WorldNews: Jain's Clinical Innovators: Bill George

  Published on September 28, 2012

  In my recent interview with Sachin H. Jain for CardioSource WorldNews, I talk about the future of the medical device industry as well as the healthcare challenges facing the nation. 

• 140 Characters of Risk: Some CEOs Fear Twitter

  Published on September 26, 2012

  When General Electric Co. GE Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt tweeted for the first time this month, his "Hello Twitter" was greeted with some snarky replies, including this one: "@JeffImmelt how come my grandfather got on twitter before you?" 

• Leadership: A Master Class video series featuring Bill George now available for purchase

  Published on September 14, 2012

  Leadership A Master Class with Daniel Goleman video series featuring Bill George is now available for purchase. 

• Bestselling author Bill George: West Michigan Policy Forum is 'serious about getting things done'

  Published on September 13, 2012

  When best selling author and Harvard Business School professor Bill George takes the stage at the West Michigan Policy Forum today, he’ll be talking to a hometown crowd.

• Innovation Is the Real Winner in Apple v. Samsung

  Published on September 6, 2012

  Apple's big win over Samsung for patent violations is monumental in the tech world. It has significant implications for American innovation that go far beyond the products in question. While patents have been a hot litigation topic for years, the outcome of this case sets a precedent for how future cases will be handled. The jury's $1 billion award to Apple for damages, combined with the still-pending injunction decision, not only impacts the smart phone market, but is sending out powerful shock waves about copying popular designs with knock-offs.

• Harvard's Bill George: A Model of 21st Century Leadership

  Published on September 4, 2012

  Last Saturday morning, Aug. 26, I called my old friend Bill George for two reasons, mainly to wish him a happy birthday on his 70th, I was two weeks early, and to discuss an unlikely article in that morning’s Financial Times, “The Mind Business.” It reported that some of the “west’s biggest companies are embracing eastern spirituality as a path to bigger profits.”

• Another Labor Day Passes with Little Progress on Creating Jobs

  Published on September 3, 2012

  The U.S. has not faced reality about its job crisis. Jobs lost in 2008-09 are not coming back, and the Obama administration’s stimulus aimed at creating or “saving” public sector jobs was not effective. Until we address the root cause of the problem -- American labor is not cost competitive in global markets for low- and mid-scale jobs -- we will not move out of this current period of stagnation.

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  Bloomberg TV - George Sees `Tradeoff' in Surveillance, Security

  
  

   
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  CNBC - 'Berating' CEOs Doesn't Solve Tax Problem: Fiorina

  
  

   
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  CNBC - 'Microsoft Needs to Get Into the Game': Pro