“We need more leaders with strong values who can make a difference in the world.”
Harry Kraemer
I host a weekly radio show on SiriusXM 111, Business Radio Powered by Wharton, called Work and Life. We publish edited versions of my conversations as free podcasts. I invite you to listen to the episode (embedded below) that is my conversation with Harry Kraemer, the former Chairman and CEO of Baxter International Inc. — a multi-billion-dollar global healthcare company — and author of two books on values-based leadership: From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership and Becoming The Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership. He is also a clinical professor of management and strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Harry is an executive partner with Madison Dearborn Partners, one of the largest private equity firms in the United States, where he consults with CEOs and other senior executives of companies in MDP’s extensive portfolio.
We discuss the importance of knowing yourself and your values in order to motivate, inspire, and lead others as well as strategies for how to develop effective values-based leadership through self-reflection, listening, and being open to others’ perspectives. Leaders must challenge themselves to take an honest look at their personal values and determine how to incorporate those into their daily activities. By developing this self-awareness, leaders can instill a more meaningful sense of purpose in their work and in the rest of their lives. The second half includes some interesting questions from callers. Be sure to stay tuned for Harry’s responses.