11. True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership
By Bill George with Peter Sims
(Jossey-Bass— $27.95)
Former Medtronic CEO and current Harvard Business School professor George has looked long and hard at the executive experience in a quest for "the internal compass that guides you successfully through life." At the heart of this book are interviews with 125 managers, from Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella to Palm co-founder Donna Dubinsky. True, there are some anecdotes that flatter their subjects. But the interviewees also talk about failures, personal tragedies, and the range of life events that knock people off career paths. George and co-writer Sims also offer useful instruction that will help readers construct their own leadership plans.