World’s Top 25 Companies That Excel In Leadership Development 2014

General Electric has been ranked number 1 on the 2014 “World’s Top Companies for Leaders list,” a comprehensive study that recognizes and evaluates best-in-class leadership and talent management practices of organizations around the world.

In addition, it also ranked IBM and Hindustan Unilever Limited as the second and third best-performing companies for leadership. The study is completed by Aon Hewitt, a global talent, retirement and health solutions consulting firm. Since the study’s inception in 2001, it has become the most comprehensive global leadership survey of talent management and leadership practices, analyzing links between leadership and financial performance.

General Mills came in fourth-place, just ahead of ICICI Bank Ltd in 5th. Others in the top 10 list include The Procter & Gamble at the 6th place, followed by  Colgate-Palmolive (7th), 3M Company (8th), Novartis AG (9th) and Mahindra Group (10th).

Top 25 companies shared 5 key characteristics in their leadership approach:

1. Assessment. When it comes to building leaders, top companies assess the whole leader early in their careers. This includes evaluating leaders’ experiences, competencies, values and organizational fit. This helps organizations understand the unique needs of their talent pipeline to fuel the right development solutions that move people forward faster.

2. Awareness. Top companies have leaders who demonstrate tremendous self-awareness by understanding their personal strengths and weaknesses and using this information to become more effective leaders.

3. Resilience. In today’s unpredictable and complex environment, top companies build resilience in their leaders by creating inclusive cultures where multiple perspectives and ideas are expected and fostered to help the organization meet continued business challenges.

4. Engaging leadership. Organizations leading the way focus on identifying and building engaging leaders who are stabilizers, demonstrate versatility and stay connected to people and events inside and outside their organization.

5. Sustainability. Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders focus on building talent programs nimble enough to respond quickly to market demands, yet sustainable to deliver superior business outcomes.

Here are the top 25 companies for leadership: Global Winners

1. General Electric Company. United States

2. International Business Machines. United States

3. Hindustan Unilever Limited. India

4. General Mills, Inc.. United States

5. ICICI Bank Ltd.. India

6. The Procter & Gamble Company. United States

7. Colgate-Palmolive Co.. United States

8. 3M Company. United States

9. Novartis AG. Switzerland

10. Mahindra Group. India

11. McDonald’s Corp.. United States

12. Intel Corporation. United States

13. Whirlpool Corp.. United States

14. ArcelorMittal. Luxembourg

15. Weg SA. Brazil

16. Deere & Company. United States

17. Eli Lilly and Company. United States

18. DBS Group Holdings Ltd. Singapore

19. Royal Dutch Shell plc. Netherlands

20. Singapore Telecommunications Limited. Singapore

21. Sonoco Products Co.. United States

22. Sime Darby Berhad. Malaysia

23. Cargill, Inc.. United States

24. American Express Company. United States

25. Raytheon Co. United States

Here are the top 25 companies for leadership: North America Winners

1. International Business Machines
2. General Mills, Inc.
3. General Electric Company
4. The Procter & Gamble Company
5. Colgate-Palmolive Company
6. 3M Company
7. McDonald’s Corporation
8. Intel Corporation
9. Whirlpool Corporation
10. Deere & Company
11. Eli Lily and Company
12. Sonoco Products Company
13. Cargill, Inc.
14. V.F. Corporation
15. The Boeing Company
16. American Express Company
17. AT&T, Inc.
18. Capital One Financial Corporation
19. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
20. Kiewit Corporation
21. Fluor Corporation
22. Raytheon Company
23. Yum! Brands, Inc.
24. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
25. Owens Corning

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