Best leaders groomed in Infosys: Survey

Bangalore, Feb 9: Indian software giant Infosys Technologies bagged 14th place in the list of top 20 global companies focused on grooming not just professionals but leaders. Infy achieved this honour in 'The 2008 Best Companies for Leaders' survey conducted by management consultancy Hay Group and Chief Executive Magazine.

The survey reveals that these companies which are focused on developing leaders will not only survive and thrive in the current financial crisis, but also would be well positioned for growth, once the economy gets revived. 3M Company tops the list, followed by Procter & Gamble and General Electric on the second and third position respectively.

The other companies on the list include Coca-Cola (fourth), followed by HSBC Holdings, ABB, Southwest Airlines, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, PepsiCo, Nokia, Accenture, FedEx, McDonald's Corporation, Caterpillar, American Express, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Intel Corporation in the same order.

The survey pointed out that in good times people value authoritative and democratic styles of leadership, while in tough times like the present economic slowdown, they desire more communication and clarity around goals. Employees want their leaders to become more visible and to lead from the front.

Rick Lash, the Hay Groups national practice leader for leadership talent said, "What we have been seeing in these uncertain times is that organisations are not pulling back on their development of leaders, primarily because organisations recognise they don't have the depth of leadership they need to meet future demands."

"This year we have seen the best in class organisations become more focused, investing their assessment and development on their best leadership talent, rather then providing across the board development for everyone," he added.

The ranking of Infosys came at a time when Indian software services industry's image is tarnished by Satyam scandal.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)