Laura Ramos

Can pharma take its talent—and its earning potential—to the next level with employee education?

Former GE CEO Jack Welch's no frills—and sometimes cutthroat—approach to business helped him make General Electric a $400-billion company by the end of his tenure in 2001. Though criticized for his desire to make GE a more competitive company, Welch is probably most admired for his leadership style. The CEO enjoyed tailored suits, private jets, and an eight-figure salary per year, but that didn't stop him from sitting face-to-face with a team of 15, 150, or 1,500 employees to talk about what they needed to do to make GE a better company. He knew the value of his team and customers, and he knew that strong leadership made for strong employees.

Although the number of pharma sales representatives has been moving toward 90,000 for several years, sales and training organizations are still feeling the aftershocks of the industrywide expansion.