BNSF RAILWAY: BNSF PEOPLE LEADER TRAINING: 25TH ANNIVERSARY
BNSF Railway’s strategic imperative— Leaders Engaging People—demands a resilient, adaptive leadership bench capable of driving performance in a rapidly evolving supply chain environment. Each year, more than 4,200 exempt employees participate annually in BNSF’s People Leader Training (PLT), a cornerstone program that links leadership behavior to business outcomes.
In 2025, BNSF sharpened its enterprise strategy around Safety + Velocity = Growth, more explicitly aligning leadership behaviors with operational results. BNSF also commemorated PLT’s 25th anniversary with a STEM-focused community initiative in partnership with For Goodness Sake, during which leaders built bicycles with more than 1,200 children.
Program Details
The 2025 PLT program developed leadership capability across all organizational levels by explicitly connecting learning to enterprise priorities. The program helped leaders:
• Leverage personal leadership strengths to enhance team performance and business results.
• Lead change effectively in support of strategic initiatives and operational transformation.
• Drive measurable improvements in safety, train velocity, and terminal dwell time through aligned leadership practices.
• Model BNSF’s Leadership Model in day-to-day interactions.
• Practice service-based leadership that reinforces empathy, collaboration, and BNSF’s core values through community impact.
Delivery Model
The two-day, instructor-led experience was delivered at scale: Each table of eight leaders was supported by an executive coach, and each class of 32 included a seasoned facilitator. These partners reinforced learning, guided reflection, and ensured consistent application across sessions.
Beyond the Classroom
- STEM + Service Integration: More than 1,200 children joined a STEM field trip to learn about BNSF rail operations. Leaders partnered with students to build bicycles that children took home with safety gear after viewing a custom bike safety video.
- Leadership Tenet Focus: Targeted coaching and activities emphasized all tenets of the BNSF Leadership Model and supported real-world application.
- Visceral Learning: Leaders engaged in real-time leadership practice, Gallup CliftonStrengths assessments, and scenario-based challenges mirroring actual business conditions.
- 25th Anniversary Celebration: Leaders who attended all 25 PLT sessions were honored with a commemorative coin presented by a senior leader. Each participant received a PLT anniversary coffee mug and a framed photo of their table group with the child and bike they built. Every class contributed to a time capsule to be opened at the 50th PLT anniversary, answering: “What are your best hopes for the leaders who attend PLT in 2050?”
To support ongoing application, BNSF provides participants with PLT toolkits, slide decks for team sessions, and online Leadership Model resources.
Results
PLT’s sustained investment in leadership capability has produced strong talent and business outcomes:
• Over the last decade, 94 percent of senior leader roles were filled internally, reflecting a deep and ready bench.
• Employee movement through rotations and promotions increased 15 percent compared with the prior five-year period; in 2024, 22.8 percent of exempt employees experienced a developmental move.
• The exempt resignation rate was a low 3.7 percent.
• BNSF saw significant improvements in terminal dwell and train velocity from 2024 to 2025. While multiple factors influence operational excellence, BNSF believes sustained leadership development through PLT is a meaningful contributor.
ROSENDIN: P.O.W.E.R. PROGRAM (PREPARING OUR WORKFORCE EXECUTIVE RESOURCES)
In the last fiscal year, Rosendin launched P.O.W.E.R. (Preparing Our Workforce Executive Resources), a comprehensive leadership development program designed to identify, develop, and empower emerging field talent. The initiative was born out of a strategic need to build a robust internal leadership pipeline and foster cross-functional collaboration among high-potential field employees.
The program is specifically designed to prepare field leaders to become effective superintendents, enabling them to lead a business unit within Rosendin. It focuses on developing the “management” side of the business—emphasizing operational leadership, understanding financial strategy, team development, and strategic execution.
Program Details
P.O.W.E.R. was delivered through in-person, live instructor-led training sessions that emphasized interactive group learning. The entire program was facilitated by vice presidents and other key senior leaders who attended every workshop. These senior leaders shared real-world insights and experiences that shaped the training modules and mentorship tools. Training materials were based on real-world scenarios, covering leadership, safety, scheduling, and crew management.
All sessions were held off-site, allowing participants to fully immerse themselves in the learning experience, collaborate more effectively with peers, and focus on developing relationships with peers and leadership skills without the interruptions of their day-to-day responsibilities.
P.O.W.E.R. incorporates several reinforcement strategies post-completion:
- Planned follow-up sessions revisit key concepts and address real-world challenges participants encountered in their roles.
- Manager check-ins align individual growth with business goals and provide continued mentorship.
- Digital resources and toolkits reinforce learning and support on-the-job application.
Participants also developed a corporate standard work guide: the Superintendent’s Standard Work Guide (SSWG).
Results
Within six months of program completion:
- 36.25 percent of participants were promoted or took on expanded leadership responsibilities, validated by their direct managers.
- Team productivity increased by 8 percent in business units led by program graduates, based on operational performance metrics tracked by project executives.
- Field leadership turnover decreased by 4 percent.
- Cross-functional collaboration improved, with managers reporting a 20 percent increase in interdepartmental coordination and communication effectiveness.