FedEx Among Best Companies for Leaders

FedEx recently received recognition in Chief Executive magazine’s “2008 Best Companies for Leaders” list, placing 13th out of 1,140 companies that applied for the award.

Making this list indicates a number of things about our company.  It is recognition of our commitment to develop strong leaders who are ready to face future business challenges as well as a reflection of our culture which encourages individuals to be leaders at all levels by stepping up to deliver the “Purple Promise” of making every FedEx experience outstanding.

This year’s recognition is especially meaningful given that one of the criteria for making the list was peer recognition from other companies that saw FedEx as one of the companies whose leadership talent they admired most.  Not only do we recognize our legacy of producing strong leaders, other companies see it as well.

Other trends of note among the top companies for this year were:

1. Leaner organizations with more complex (i.e., matrix) reporting relationships;
2. Efforts around attracting, engaging, and retaining younger workers;
3. Investments in development opportunities for mid-level management in engaging the workforce and preparing future leaders for tomorrow’s challenges; and
4. Leadership development involving both formal and informal systems, including bold innovations and hands-on projects that address real-world business problems.

It’s clear that operating in these times of unprecedented economic challenges makes many of these “top trends” a necessity for sustainability. Top companies know that they have to do more with less while continuing to build their leadership pipeline. I am very proud to work for a company that recognizes the importance of leaders and that understands that having strong leaders is the key to overcoming any challenge and ensuring our continued success.