George tries to lead a life of integrity without compromising that in order to get ahead.

Question: What inspires you?

Bill George: Making a difference in the world.  Leaving a legacy or making a difference.  Having an impact on the lives of other people, and feeling like, "Hey, my life has been worthwhile.  I did have some modest impact on the people I encountered in this world." And leading a life of integrity and being true to what I believe in without compromising that in order to get ahead.

I look for lessons closest . . . from the people closest to me--from my wife, who is my partner, if you will; and from other leaders whom I've known and worked with.  I have a men's group that I learn a lot from them.  And a couples group, whom we've been meeting together--both of them--for more than 20 years. And so I certainly learned a lot.  And also going back to great books and learning what others have learned over time.  But how do we bring that forward into a current date context?  And watching what other leaders are doing and trying to learn from them.

Question: Is there a book you look to for inspiration?

Bill George: You know all my life I've been interested in leaders.  In part that was imprinted on me by my father, who thought he should have been a leader and never was. And so from a very early age, I was reading books on great leaders  people like Abraham Lincoln, just a wide range of leaders. Everything I could get my hands on as a 7, 8, 9 year old boy.

Recorded on: Jul 7 2007