In the year since he has taken charge, McNerney, 56, has begun to chip away at the issues that have threatened to destroy Boeing's productivity and reputation. He has a long way to go.

...Airbus sales chief John Leahy, an American who's based in Toulouse, negotiated alongside McNerney for airline deals at General Electric's engine division and remembers him as one of the best in that role. "Unfortunately, he's more impressive now," Leahy said. "It's a shame he's running our major competition."

Workers and investors say McNerney has won their respect by starting with a few simple messages, some borrowed from Welch's playbook at GE and McNerney's own tenure at 3M. He says employees must focus on customers, and ethics must come first. To make sure that happens, McNerney spends a lot of time evaluating Boeing's leaders.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/271937_boeingmcnerney29.html

I thought this article was an interesting read.