Leadership Message

Frontiers November 2014 Issue

LEADERSHIP MESSAGE Dennis Muilenburg Boeing vice chairman, president and chief operating officer Stronger leaders, Our strength as a company stems from employees’ leadership, innovation and ongoing commitment to excellence 06 Frontiers November 2014 to leverage the entire Boeing enterprise, strengthen our global orientation, manage business diversity, measure ourselves against other companies that excel where we want to (in first-time quality and workplace safety, for example), deliver innovation and disciplined execution, and demonstrate both personal accountability and shared responsibility across our company. These are leadership skills that we can, and must, grow and hone at all levels of our organization. Why do we have the Boeing Leadership Center? It’s an important part of our leadership-development strategy. The BLC serves as a forum where employees from all levels and locations gather to learn from one another, share best practices, tackle important business issues and build our “One Boeing” culture. They develop skills, gain new tools, and grow their leadership capacity and networks. It’s also a place where our executives coach, share feedback and model the behavior we expect of leaders. We constantly look to improve and update courses using feedback from participants. That’s why, this year, we’ve In a Q&A with Frontiers, Dennis Muilenburg shares his views on leadership, its importance to Boeing, and ways all employees can demonstrate and grow their leadership skills, regardless of title. Why is developing leaders so important to Boeing? We emphasize leadership at all levels because there’s a direct link between effective leadership and the strength of our company. In a globally competitive world, leadership development is an investment Boeing makes to set us apart. Boeing builds products and delivers services that matter; people’s lives depend on their quality—and our integrity. Ultimately, customers choose Boeing because of the leadership, innovation and ongoing commitment to excellence of our employees. Leadership is not about job title. It’s about making a difference, helping others learn and improve, and demonstrating the Boeing leadership attributes and company values in our current roles, every day. Do other companies devote as many resources to leadership development as we do? Yes. In fact, organizations that invest in leadership talent show increased shareholder return, higher employee engagement, and greater performance overall. That’s according to a recent Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders study—which ranks Boeing’s leadership-development program among the best. Are good leaders born, or can they learn the skills? Both. We all have inherent leadership skills we need to recognize and amplify. And just as you can develop technical skills for your job, it’s possible to develop your leadership capabilities—but it takes ongoing effort and daily practice. We emphasize continuous leadership development because it’s always possible to improve, whether a person is a new leader, in a senior leadership position or anywhere else along the spectrum. As we look to Boeing’s second century, we have tremendous growth opportunities. Building the right leadership capabilities will be crucial to our success. We’ll need


Frontiers November 2014 Issue
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