Page 80 - How We Lead Matters

Passing the Test

Have you ever noticed what happens when two babies meet? They are
absolutely fascinated with each other. I’ll let you in on a secret: Business lead-
ers are similarly intrigued with other business leaders. We note each other’s
styles, track the other’s successes, and do a good deal of second-guessing
when mistakes are made.
One leader who has fascinated me for years is Harvard Business School
professor, Bill George. When my husband was vice chairman at Medtronic, I
had the privilege of watching Bill’s success up close while he served as
Medtronic’s chairman and CEO. Medtronic was a mission-driven organiza-
tion, and Bill was truly an authentic leader—a powerful combination.
I remember Bill saying that he was well satisfied with his accomplish-
ments at Medtronic but that he was discouraged that he had not had the
opportunity to affect ethical corporate leadership on a larger scale. It was, after
all, the era of Enron and WorldCom. Not a noble time in corporate America.
After his retirement, Bill taught at IMD, Yale, and then Harvard. He
also wrote a book called Authentic Leadership, which he followed up with
True North. Both prescribe a leadership model that can be born only by pass-
ing through what he describes as the “crucible that tests you to your limits.”
As I sat in the back of his classroom while he taught the Harvard case
study written about my leadership at Carlson, I looked at the students who
surrounded me. Which ones would have the opportunity to make choices dif-
ferent from those made at Enron? At that moment I realized that Bill need
no longer be discouraged. His legacy would far exceed his own success.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson 63