Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver

Sharing stories focused on the people he worked with, the retired president of UPS provides a practical blueprint for successful leaders and companies.

UPS is a household name and one of the most highly regarded American corporations by customers and investors alike. Who hasn’t been delighted by a right-on-time delivery, one of the eighteen million UPS makes every day? Founded over a hundred years ago, UPS has moved steadily up the Fortune 500 as so many other corporations have dropped off. So what’s the company’s secret? Just ask a driver!

Ron Wallace was a UPS driver for six years before he rose through the ranks to become president of UPS International. In other companies that might be extraordinary, but for UPS it’s par for the course. UPS has a unique people culture. It’s like a family. Package loaders call executives by their first names and vice versa. The company almost always promotes from within. Lifetime employment is common. Most employees own UPS stock. Wallace credits this spirit of “we, not me” with the company’s success—and his own. As he puts it, working at UPS gave him a PhD in teamwork.

Instead of writing a typical business memoir that celebrates the leader as celebrity, Wallace shares vivid stories that focus on the people he worked with, the challenges they overcame, and the simple principles and practices that make up the UPS way. He exhorts his fellow leaders to grow their people, not just their business plans. The leadership style described in this book is simple and direct—and it works. The straightforward and easy-to-understand lessons provide a blueprint for an individual or company to build on past successes and adapt to future challenges. This is a must-listen for anyone aspiring to become a great leader.

“Finally, a book that hits the heart of doing what’s right. A straightforward, no-holds-barred approach to leadership principles. A refreshing wake-up call for anyone leading others.” —Emily Thomas Kendrick, president and CEO, Arrow Exterminators, Inc.

“For decades, Ron Wallace displayed unique leadership abilities at UPS. This would ultimately lead him to being responsible for thousands of employees who had to get things done in complex situations every day. Whether you’re a beginning or an experienced leader, Ron’s book, Leadership Lessons from a UPS Driver, can change your life as well as the life of your organization. It’s a leadership must-read.” —Mark Levy, author of Accidental Genius

Ron Wallace is the former president of UPS International. During his tenure, he was responsible for operations in more than 200 countries and territories, with more than 60,000 people under his direction. He also served on the corporate management committee that oversaw the day-to-day operations of UPS and its 435,000 employees. In addition, he has served as chairman or cochairman of thirty-three boards of directors of highly successful companies around the world. Shortly after retiring from UPS, Ron was appointed by the governor of Georgia as chairman of the Governor’s Commission and charged with forming the City of Milton, Georgia. He is also the founder of the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pubs in Atlanta, which in 2015 was named Irish Pub of the Year by the Irish Pubs Global Federation.