Leading with a Serving Heart: Authenticity and Self-Awareness in the Era of AI

Recently, a conversation with a friend I met in Montreal during the summer holiday reminded me how much a serving heart shaped my work at Medtronic, as he showed me the patient card of TAVI implant. When I started there in 1997, our office in Hong Kong's Wan Chai was small, and my job included everything from hauling boxes of catheters to hospitals to supporting doctors in the cath labs. My aunt thought I had settled for less after graduating in Canada—but Medtronic, under Bill George's leadership, taught me what authentic leadership means.

At 15 years in Medtronic, I experienced firsthand a culture built on authenticity, transparency, and service. Bill George's townhalls weren't just presentations. He shared the company's vision, listened to employees, and expected all of us to lead with our values. That environment was my foundation for leadership: moving from focusing on myself to putting the team and mission first. It taught me to measure success not by titles, but by how I helped others grow and succeed.

Bill George's "True North" model describes how authentic leaders are shaped by self-awareness and a deep understanding of their own experiences. He says, "The hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself." This became real for me at Medtronic, where I learned to recognise my strengths and weaknesses, ask for feedback, and act with integrity every day.

Today, technology and AI are changing our industry rapidly. There is understandable anxiety about losing jobs or being replaced by machines. But my experience has shown that authenticity is more important than ever. When leaders are self-aware, they can use AI as a tool to help teams develop, provide coaching, and create spaces where honest conversations happen. Instead of replacing people, AI can highlight where we need to grow and help us spot our blind spots—if we are honest with ourselves.

Bill George identifies five leadership archetypes that can cause leaders to go off track. With AI in mind, these archetypes are highly relevant and we can find ourselves falling into one of them if we are not mindful.

• Imposters: Gain influence through politics or technology but lack confidence and self-awareness; AI may mask insecurity, but genuine leadership requires inner clarity.

• Rationalisers: Blame others or technology when things go wrong rather than taking responsibility; AI analytics should help us learn, not deflect accountability.

• Glory Seekers: Crave recognition and measure themselves by data or social media metrics; AI should help us serve, not just chase applause.

• Loners: Avoid close relationships and honest feedback; AI-managed teams still need trust and human connection to thrive.

• Shooting Stars: Chase rapid advancement and rely on trends, sometimes hastily adopting new tech like AI without a thoughtful strategy.

Courage and self-awareness—strengthened by coaching and honest feedback—guide us away from these pitfalls. I've benefited from CliftonStrengths, which helped me understand and use my top talents daily. When paired with an authentic leadership environment like Medtronic, I learned how to coach and empower others, not just manage them. I applied the learnings to the remaining years of my tenure as the Asia Pacific marketing team leader. This approach has shaped my own coaching practices: focus on strengths, lead with purpose, and build real connections.

Authentic leadership isn't just an idea—it's a discipline. With Medtronic's example and Bill George's guidance, I provide a strength-based coaching program with authenticity-centric focus to medtech executives — especially now, as AI becomes part of our work. Human skills will only become more critical as technology accelerates. We must lead with self-awareness and service, working together to help others.

Gallup Inc. (2025) State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report. Gallup, Inc.

George, B. and Clayton, Z., 2022. True North, Emerging Leader Edition: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace. John Wiley & Sons.

Leavy, B., 2023. Bill George: Guiding two decades of the authentic leadership movement. Strategy & Leadership, 51(3), pp.3-9.