MBA Students Pick The 10 Companies With The Most Inspiring Leaders

The decision of whether to apply to a company or accept an offer is incredibly complex. It's about pay, culture fit, and career goals. It's also about whether you believe the leaders of the company want to and are capable of doing something special.

As part of its annual MBA survey, research firm Universum Global asks business school students to rank prominent employers on a variety of attributes, including how much they want to work for them, the strengths of their culture, and how inspiring their top management is.

When it comes to inspiring management, Google's No. 1, which could speak to the company's famously innovative HR and management practices, and the incredibly lofty goals of the company and its CEO, Larry Page.

At No. 2, design firm IDEO also does things a little differently. Everybody is encouraged to switch desks once a week. And in third place, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is one of the most outspoken corporate leaders out there, as an evangelist for Starbucks' culture and weighing in on current events.

More than half of these companies are among MBA students' top targets after graduation, according to Universum.

Here's the full ranking:

1. Google
2. IDEO
3. Starbucks
4. Walt Disney Company
5. Amazon
6. Southwest Airlines
7. Apple
8. Mayo Clinic
9. Intuit
10. McKinsey & Co.