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Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver
Book

Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver

Delivering a Culture of We, Not Me

Berrett-Koehler, 2016 more...


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Ron Wallace was six years old when his father abandoned him and his mother had to fend for themselves in Lewiston, Idaho. Hard work, drive and chance brought him to United Parcel Service (UPS) as a package car driver. He felt an immediate sense of belonging. Now retired, Wallace advanced from truck driver to president of UPS International, becoming a leader who eventually directed 60,000 people. Wallace fills his memoir with great stories and stellar leadership advice. His appendix, “Study Guide for Leaders and Their Teams,” offers the information in a teachable format. getAbstract recommends Wallace’s biography and leadership lessons to leaders and to students of leadership.

Take-Aways

  • Ron Wallace, retired United Parcel Service (UPS) international president, began as a delivery truck driver. He offers a set of leadership philosophies and principles:
  • Nurture a values-based culture as UPS does, for instance, by treating everyone equally, sharing information and promoting from within.
  • To create a winning team, have an attitude of “we, not me.” Be a leader, not a boss.

About the Author

Ron Wallace rose from delivery driver to president of UPS International. He chaired or co-chaired 33 boards of major companies. He also co-founded the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub in Milton, Georgia, named in 2015 as the best Irish pub in the world.


Comment on this summary or Start Discussion

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    S. D. 3 years ago
    It's a very good idea and a success story.
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    M. d. 7 years ago
    Some good soft principals besides the hard-fact ones. How many CEO started at the bottom?
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    P. L. 8 years ago
    All great successful people have come along the same routes and principles.

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