Lagos, Nigeria: General Electric (GE), a global technology and infrastructure company says its global rating as the world's best company for leadership is due to its human resource leadership philosophy which inspires its employees to be the very best in their respective e specialties.

Susan Peters, GE's Senior Vice- President for Human Resources made this known while presenting a keynote address to the Lagos Business School Alumni Association of the Pan Atlantic University (PAU) in Lagos on Thursday. Our culture drives our longevity. "Our leaders drive our culture. By leading at all levels, we work as one." Says Susan Peters.

According to her, GE believes that everyone at GE can be a leader with proper mentoring. Susan, a 34 year veteran of GE who has been responsible for talent identification, leadership development and succession planning for GE executives worldwide since 2001 explained that GE employees collaborate, build relationships and share knowledge.

The global human resource expert who extended the reach of the Crotonville leadership learning institute of GE as a global ideal of performance remarked that, "We are experiential, we learn by doing because there is no better way," adding that they are also meritocracy, because they proved themselves before they lead others.

She said in GE, leaders connect people with the processes that keep all of them rising together because they tell the employees what is expected of them, help them get there, hold them accountable and ensure that improving performance drive all of them.
Susan said goals and objectives were set for each individual and reviewed regularly, and their performance measured against them, adding that the GE goals and objective system ensured individual and organization goals are aligned and enabled feedback throughout the year.
She noted that GE's growth values showed employees how to perform and that this was anchored on external focus, clear thinking, imagination and courage, inclusiveness and expertise which are embedded at every level of the company and are supported by one unifying principle: which is to always act with unyielding integrity.

Investing in Africa's Youth is the Only Way Forward

In Africa "there is a shortage of technical  skills in the workforce," says Jay Ireland, President & CEO of GE Africa. According to statistics, there is a rapidly growing number of youth who are unemployed who lack key skills which are in demand. As "a global company that  operates locally," GE Africa wants to develop local talent close to its customers in order to deliver the best results. "It is therefore a  priority for us to build a strong workforce to power Africa's growth," says Bianca Tulumello, senior executive human resources manager for GE Africa. Read more. More about GE in Africa in this BRIEFING. 

She said the conglomerate's leadership development is career-long, company-wide and continuous learning.

Also speaking, Tamla Oates-Forney, Senior Executive Human Resources, GE Africa observed that GE Africa is an employer of choice because it recruits, attracts and develops the best talent for African continent, and for the world as well as offer world class professional and leadership development opportunities.

She also said GE Africa is making a big impact in people's lives with better infrastructure, healthcare and technology, promoting diversity and are great corporate citizens.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter, using the best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges, finding solutions in energy, health and home, transport and finance, building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.