IBM is being recognized as the No. 1 Global Company for Leaders, in a study released this month by Fortune magazine and to be featured in its December issue.
A panel of independent judges select and rank winning companies based on numerous criteria, including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leader development on a global scale, impact of leadership in communities in which they operate, and overall business performance and company reputation. The study is generally regarded as one of the most comprehensive analyses of organizational leadership in the world. IBM was one of 537 organizations under consideration in the study.
This Fortune report is widely seen as the most comprehensive study of organizational leadership in the world. While IBM has long been highly recognized for its leadership development capability and has frequently been among the top finishers in these Fortune roundups, this is the first time IBM has been singled out as No. 1 in the overall global rankings. “This recognition reflects one of IBM's significant business differentiators -- our ability to find and grow talent, at all levels and across all roles," said Randy MacDonald, Senior Vice President, IBM Human Resources. “At the end of the day, it's the leadership talent and capability of IBMers that propels this company's progress. "
IBM's unique approach to leadership development includes both programs focused on those already in leadership roles, as well as identifying and developing potential leaders earlier in their careers. IBM's key innovations include the creation of the Integration & Values Team, a group of approximately 300 top business leaders from across the enterprise who work together in solving particular business challenges during 12-month team appointments; the purposeful use of mobility assignments to put IBMers in jobs outside their home countries; extensive mentoring practices, including cross-border mentoring programs and networks; an enterprise-wide process for leadership talent identification and tracking; and the two-year-old Corporate Service Corps, which puts employees to work on community problems in other parts of the world.
You may read more in Fortune's December issue. An online version is available now.
