Move beyond management to lead with heart, purpose, and integrity in today's complex workplace.
What separates a great leader from a capable manager? This course explores that question through two in-depth conversations with executives who have led some of the world's most recognized organizations. Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic and professor at Harvard Business School, shares the principles behind authentic leadership — including how to discover your True North, build self-awareness through honest feedback and reflection, and develop the kind of culture where people are empowered rather than managed. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and author of Net Positive, examines what it means to lead with purpose at scale — from building organizations around shared values to making the business case for treating people and the planet as long-term assets rather than short-term costs.
Together, these conversations make the case that leadership is fundamentally a human endeavor, and that integrity, accountability, and a genuine concern for others are not soft ideals but practical competitive advantages.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
Motivational & Leadership Speaker
Adam Mendler is a nationally recognized authority on leadership, renowned for his unique ability to deliver perspective-shifting insights shaped by interviewing more than 500 of America’s most successful leaders. The creator and host of the top-rated business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, Adam regularly elicits insights from America's top CEOs, founders, athletes, celebrities, and political and military leaders. A keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations, Adam has written extensively on business and leadership, having authored more than 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc., and HuffPost. A Los Angeles native and lifelong Angels fan, Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA, serves on the board of UCLA’s Master of Applied Statistics & Data Science program, is an emeritus member of USC’s Board of Governors, and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders.
This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.
If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.
