For Andrea Dedrick, company leaders must have determination to inspire their employees.

Dedrick, the General Electric (GE) organization and talent development coordinator and NIU alumna, was invited by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to speak to students about leadership at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Barsema Hall, Room 127.

Throughout the fall semester, SHRM members have invited multiple guests from different companies to speak to their society and students who may be interested. SHRM encourages undeclared students to attend these events, said Kristen Hartman, SHRM president and senior human resources major.

“What we do is to invite people from different companies to talk about human resources topics,” Hartman said.

During the event, Dedrick spoke about the GE healthcare leadership philosophy. She said the culture of GE drives its longevity, and the leaders of GE drive the company’s culture. Dedrick also talked about the work ethics of leaders and what they should look for in their workers. She explained the Communications Leadership Development Program for entry-level employees.

“At GE, leaders inspire others to be their best,” Dedrick said.

According to GE’s website, the program involves employees participating in an eight-month rotation within one of GE’s six businesses, like healthcare and aviation.

According to GE’s website, GE has more than 300,000 employees and more than 100 locations internationally. GE has six branches within its company, like energy infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, aviation, capital and appliances and lighting.