24. Jim McNerney

The fuel for Jim McNerney’s turnaround leadership at Boeing can be traced back to the early days of his business career when, as a junior Procter & Gamble (P&G) staffer, he learned “you run toward problems, not away from them.” That certainly describes his flight path since becoming CEO of the aircraft giant in 2005, plotting a fresh course for the company in the wake of a series of turbulent ethical scandals that had rocked confidence in the business.

Although he had significant leadership successes to look back on and draw from when he took on the Boeing challenge—including CEO posts at 3M and General Electric—his fresh-out-of-school experiences were just as top of mind. “You learn to remember at an early age what the business ...

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