True North, Emerging Leader Edition, 3rd Edition

3LEADING WITHOUT TRUE NORTH

Without a moral compass, you will swim in chaos.

—James Burke, former CEO, Johnson & Johnson

In the first two chapters, we explored the role that your life story and your crucible have in discovering your True North—your moral compass. In this chapter, we explore the risks and consequences of trying to lead if you haven't discovered your True North.

As a young leader, there are great risks in trying to get ahead too fast, as I know from my own experience. This is especially true if you jump into major leadership roles without first knowing who you are. You are subject to being driven by external gratification—money, fame, and power—and these great tempters can control you and your decisions, even if you aren't aware of their impact. In this chapter, four of the leaders we profile are young leaders who tried to lead without a moral compass: Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Neumann, Travis Kalanick, and Elizabeth Holmes. Each of them wound up way off track.

Before you move too fast to get ahead, take the inner journey to know who you are by understanding your life story. Why do so many leaders avoid grounding themselves in their life stories? They may fear vulnerability or lack close friends who can help them reflect on their experiences. They try to bury their past and put on a new mask. Or they get caught up in chasing the world's esteem by trying to accumulate money, fame, and power rather than pursuing their intrinsic motivations.

The consequence of denying ...