Business leaders aren’t always raised in a board room. More often than not they have to work long hours to gain the respect and influence they have. The following business leaders prove that moving up the ladder takes more then a degree or two and a letter of reference. Instead, it takes the ability to work odd jobs, have interesting experiences, and learn from them.
1. John Y. Brown, Jr.: Before Brown made the fast food …

In today’s New York Times, David Brooks astutely points out that the challenge for GM is cultural, and not simply structural or financial. He notes:
On Jan. 21, 1988, a General Motors executive named Elmer Johnson wrote a brave and prophetic memo. Its main point was contained in this sentence: “We have vastly underestimated how deeply ingrained are the organizational and cultural rigidities that hamper our ability to execute.”
On Jan. 26, 2009, Rob Kleinbaum, a former …