World's best companies for leaders

When it comes to developing leaders, McKinsey Director of Firm Personnel Michelle Jarrard happily admits that the consulting firm is somewhat obsessive. It likes to think of itself as not just cultivating talent for the company, she says, but also for the public, social, and private sectors beyond McKinsey.

So far, it's got an impressive track record, with many of its 20,000 alumni graduating to leadership positions globally, among them Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, newly named Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, and Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

McKinsey places a big emphasis on mentorship, so much so that partners receive feedback on how many consultants refer to them as "mentors." And Managing Director Dominic Barton leads by example: According to the company, he spends 60% of his time mentoring and developing his staff.

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