Archive: Bill George
The U.S. auto revivers: Alan Mulally and Ed Whitacre
The two of them deserve enormous credit for restoring America's automobile industry, just when it appeared that American-owned auto companies were a thing of the past. They are doing it "the old-fashioned way": not with short-term moves and...
By Bill George | December 22, 2010; 04:24 PM ET | Comments (7)
Meet today's corporate heroes
It's time to focus more on the successes of CEOs who are making a positive difference and less on individual failures.
By Bill George | July 26, 2010; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
An excellent replacement
What a tragedy this is to damage a long, distinguished career in a single media interview, and with Rolling Stone, no less!
By Bill George | June 23, 2010; 04:42 PM ET | Comments (2)
More than just a liberal
I doubt that President Obama nominated her because she is a liberal; there are many judges far more liberal than Kagan.
By Bill George | May 10, 2010; 01:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
A step-by-step plan
"While addressing a crisis of this magnitude is painful, it must start with the Pope admitting mistakes the Vatican has made, including his own."
By Bill George | March 30, 2010; 10:46 AM ET | Comments (40)
No leadership here
Making political hay out of insurance access isn't leadership. Real leadership on health care starts with wellness and prevention.
By Bill George | March 23, 2010; 05:32 AM ET | Comments (4)
A big price to pay
If the two parties fail to agree on a centrist bill, albeit a modest one, voters will punish them next November.
By Bill George | February 23, 2010; 05:47 AM ET | Comments (2)
The engaged leader
It is direct engagement - not memos, emails and videos - that spawns empowerment and innovation.
By Bill George | January 7, 2010; 10:47 AM ET | Comments (0)
Dan Vasella, Novartis CEO
Dan Vasella has transformed Novartis from primarily a pharmaceutical company into a global leader in health care.
By Bill George | December 15, 2009; 05:53 AM ET | Comments (1)
Milton Friedman's mistake
Thoughtful corporate philanthropy, like that practiced by Target, Wal Mart, Merck, Novartis, Exxon, Goldman Sachs and many other companies is capitalism at its best.
By Bill George | November 17, 2009; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
No genuine leadership
Having chosen to put politics ahead of policy, the Democrats are left to compromise their values to force the bill through.
By Bill George | November 10, 2009; 05:40 AM ET | Comments (11)
Only one captain
When the owners lose confidence in the leader, it does little good to take away his or her responsibilities and give them to a consultant.
By Bill George | October 26, 2009; 01:20 PM ET | Comments (0)
Persistent But Gracious
I vividly recall our meeting exactly 10 years ago when Medtronic was working to gain his support for an FDA reform bill -- Kennedy was a persistent but gracious negotiator.
By Bill George | August 27, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Respect, Not Fear
Leaders need to be respected by people, who know that they will be held accountable for their results by their leaders.
By Bill George | August 20, 2009; 06:33 AM ET | Comments (2)
A Safari Lesson
The reality in today's world is that leaders have to stay in touch with their organizations and with rapidly changing events on a 24/7 basis, even while on vacation.
By Bill George | August 10, 2009; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (9)
One Step at a Time
President Obama needs to pull back and refocus health care reform on the fundamental issue of rising health care costs, instead of forcing costly and unwieldy health care reform through the Congress.
By Bill George | July 27, 2009; 12:43 PM ET | Comments (0)
Now, Turn to the Future
The heads of the healthiest financial institutions need to work with the U.S. government to ensure the U.S. does not find itself back in a similar meltdown in the years ahead.
By Bill George | July 20, 2009; 01:03 PM ET | Comments (1)
Real Leaders Don't Quit
Barring major health problems or family tragedies, elected leaders have a deep obligation to their constituents to fulfill the term of office for which they were elected.
By Bill George | July 7, 2009; 01:29 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Fellow Meditator
Phil Jackson's practice of Buddhism and meditation give him an inner calm and tranquility that enables him to motivate his star professionals in ways that others cannot.
By Bill George | June 17, 2009; 05:22 PM ET | Comments (0)
Successful Grooming
The succession process Xerox used in the the transition from Anne Mulcahy to Ursula Burns is a model of how succession should be done.
By Bill George | May 27, 2009; 10:53 AM ET | Comments (0)
Political Courage Required
If Congress passes a retroactive, confiscatory tax on Wall Street bonuses, President Obama should veto it. This requires political courage, something that is a rare commodity in the U.S. Congress.
By Bill George | March 22, 2009; 09:48 PM ET | Comments (12)
An Offensive Question
The stereotypes that male leaders are aggressive and risk-oriented while female leaders are less assertive and more risk averse keep women from demonstrating their full leadership capabilities, and keep men from being able to lead from the heart as well as the head.
By Bill George | March 9, 2009; 04:37 AM ET | Comments (0)
"People Support What They Help Create"
President Obama is wisely setting forth the principles of his health care plan rather than the details and then having the patience to work out the details with the right congressional committees.
By Bill George | March 2, 2009; 11:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
Serve the Greater Good
Netanyahu, with Livni's support, can unite Israel's disjointed factions and negotiate the "land for peace" deals that will give Israel its long-awaited acceptance in the Middle East.
By Bill George | February 23, 2009; 10:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
Tarnished Reputation
Those in America's financial sector continue to operate in the enclosed world of Wall Street, ignoring public opinion and harming the already tarnished reputation of many financial institutions.
By Bill George | February 2, 2009; 11:38 AM ET | Comments (0)
Walmart CEO Lee Scott
At a time when short-term thinkers led the U.S. to the brink of disaster, Scott increased market share for Walmart while working through tough human-resource issues and grooming a capable successor.
By Bill George | December 30, 2008; 10:21 AM ET | Comments (7)
Insist on His Resignation
Obama should stay at arm's length from Blagojevich and continue to insist the governor resign or be impeached.
By Bill George | December 15, 2008; 01:52 PM ET | Comments (0)
Radical Surgery Required
A ten-point plan for making General Motors competitive again.
By Bill George | December 8, 2008; 07:08 PM ET | Comments (3)
