Bill George joins Christopher Wong Michaelson for a candid conversation on leadership, purpose, and courage in uncertain times. Drawing on his journey from early career setbacks to leading Medtronic, George reflects on the importance of authentic relationships, values-driven decision-making, and aligning personal purpose with organizational mission. The discussion explores what it means to lead with “true north” amid polarization and crisis, the ethical responsibilities of business leaders to employees and communities, and the growing need for moral courage in navigating complexity and change. Grounded in real-world examples, this episode challenges leaders to move beyond profit as a primary goal and instead focus on impact, integrity, and the long-term good.

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Britt Cruz
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti

One way in which the University of St. Thomas is trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the third of a three-part speaker series, students heard from United States Navy Veteran Galon Miller about his work with returning veterans in their quest for work and the good life.

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Nicole Zwieg Daly, JD, EdD, CPPM.
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti.

One way in which the University of St. Thomas is trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that most of them want a purpose but relatively few would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the second of a three-part speaker series, students heard from Second Harvest Heartland Chief Development Officer Erica Campbell about her quest for work and the good life.

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Nicole Zwieg Daly, JD, EdD, CPPM.
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti.