Fortune magazine recently released a list of the top 10 companies for producing leaders. You've probably heard of most of the companies but there were a few international companies that I'd never heard of before. Incidentally no insurance companies broke into the top 10 or 20. I suppose insurers just aren't producing enough business titans to warrant a mention.
Here are the top ten companies for leaders according to Fortune magazine:
- General Motors (GM)
- Procter & Gamble (PG)
- Nokia (NOK)
- Hindustan Unilever (BOM)
- Capital One Financial (COF)
- General Mills (GIS)
- Mckinsey
- International Business Machines (IBM)
- BBVA
- Infosys Technologies (INFY)
What is your set of criteria for a big business leader? Do you think they have similar qualities as a local leader in a community? I've got to admit that I'm a bit skeptical about "leaders" and the whole concept of leadership. All of the clichés of "lead by example", "lead with your actions not words", "make quick decisions" etc. don't hold water with me.
If there is a need for so many leaders then what does that say about the rest of the non-leaders or followers? Also how is leadership measured in the business world? Seems to me solely by stock price and cash flow, not positive deeds such as providing health care for your employees, paying workers what they deserve etc.
There may not be any insurance companies on the list, but I think that you raise an important question as to what defines "leadership." In my opinion, companies that truly lead are not necesarily those with the most impressive bottom line. They need to be successful, sure, but there are other elements involved in leadership... such as how they treat their employees, how they interact with the local (and national) communities at large, etc.
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
Posted by: Jerry | October 2, 2007 9:17 PM | Permalink to Comment