CRISIS, CHANGE, AND THE ROLE OF THE EMERGING LEADER

The author recounts various aspects of his long career as CEO/Chief Executive Officer of the medical device company Medtronic, and describes his True North concept. He also describes the leadership transition in today’s organizations to new generations. He believes that the old style of leadership is “rapidly being replaced by leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence who are committed to empowering people to reach their full potential.” For additional context, he provides quotes from Ralph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet, OneTrust founder Kabir Barday, former Kroger CEO Dave Dillon, and Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh. The author describes former Merck CEO Ken Frazier as an exemplar of “taking great personal risks that require moral courage.” A chart compares characteristics of 20th and 21st century leaders. For instance, in Philosophy, the 20th century way was command‐and‐control, whereas now it is authentic leadership. Within Motivation; before it was self‐interest; now it is the institutions’ best interest. For personal measurement, 20th century was external validation; 21st century is intrinsic contribution. The author concludes: “In today’s complex world, we need emerging leaders to step up to the challenges to lead with their hearts, not just their heads, to make this world better for everyone.”