I read JACK – A book I would refer to as a "Success" story, by Jack Welch, who narrates his journey of 41 years with a Company (GE) that achieved so much. In a simple and with a lot of detail, he explains his wins, losses, the pluses & minuses that he encountered in GE and life in general. If there was something Jack had so much of, it was self-confidence, which he descibes as the greatest single gift his mum gave him right from his early years. Building self-confidence in people and others was the core and huge part of his leadership – as a junior Manager and right through his career as Chairman & CEO of GE. "Confidence gives you courage & extends your reach. It lets you take greater risks and achieve far more than is thought possible". His Mother gave him that much confidence, she convinced convinced him that he could be anyone he wanted to be. It was really up to him "You have to go for it" – she would say. His mother raised him to be strong , tough and independent. The book presents Jack’s Lead ership styles, Management beliefs and secrets of his success; which are definitely worth reading. Jack sure does have "guts". In school he wasn’t the smartest, but he had the focus to get the work done & he bagged a degree, masters degree, PhD, and became the greatest Corporate Leader of the 20th Century who turned GE into the most valuable Company in the world. another
Former Chairman and CEO of General Electric Jack Welch embodies what many believe are the ultimate skills of the courageous corporate leader: guts, know-how, and a track record that includes keeping a top company extremely profitable for 20 years. Many people remember Jack Welch as "Neutron Jack" because he dropped a bomb in the early '80s and laid off more than 100,000 GE workers. In Jack: Straight from the Gut Welch reveals the facts behind this and many other difficult decisions involved in fixing his troubled company. He also describes how he helped the employees who remained at General Electric build it into one of the most successful companies in the world. Welch has had such an impact on modern business that a tour of his personal history offers all managers valuable lessons. His memories are filled with seasoned insights into leadership and management strategies that both worked and failed. In Jack , his first book, he captures the excitement of his highest-stakes decisions in vivid autobiographical color. Welch's simple and direct approach is apparent throughoutJack: Straight from the Gut . As an expert on building world-class teams, his teamwork tips and ideas on creating a self-confident and energized work force show managers how to create similar solid results. Filled with self-effacing humor and poignant memories, Welch's personal stories form the framework of a self-help management guide. A sincere interest in training pervades Jack: Straight from the Gut . Welch proudly describes his successful rejuvenation of Crotonville, the 52-acre training center GE built in Ossining, New York in the 1950s. During the upheaval of Welch's early years at GE, he overhauled the campus with new buildings and faculty. He
explains how he changed the curriculum at Crotonville to include more GE issues while turning students into in-house consultants to top management. He also details the ways he used incentives, recognition and bonuses to motivate his top people. While spreading more stock options and increasing training for managers and executives, Welch also changed the shape of corporate leadership. My favorite part of Welch's book is his chapter on the CEO principles that made him so effective. When he offers advice on creating fundamental change in an organization and driving changes into a company's culture, he writes from a unique and experienced vantage point. His tips include "people first, strategy second"; reach for more than what you thought possible; and know when to meddle and when to let go. Welch admits that his passionate behavior when communicating his messages "was often excessive and perhaps obsessive," but adds, "it worked for me." For fun, Welch includes a chapter about golf and rubbing elbows with the richest men on the planet. Through vivid memories, confessions and descriptions of the world's biggest business deals and dilemmas, he sheds light into the most exciting moments in the remarkable career and life of a unique leader. During his 41 years with General Electric, he was able to reach many admirable goals for himself and his organization. In this book, he proudly writes that he believes in "opening the mind to ideas from anywhere." Welch also gives credit to Peter F. Drucker for the solid management advice that would help him lead GE to become a market leader.
In a down-to-earth style that reflects Welch's belief that "informality liberates," Jack: Straight from the Gut gives readers the rare opportunity to get inside the head of a powerful leader whose influence and style continue to reverberate throughout the marketplace.
Nearly 20 years ago, former General Electric CEO Reg Jones walked into Jack Welch's office and wrapped him in a bear hug. "Congratulations, Mr. Chairman", said Reg. It was a defining moment for American business. So begins the story of a self-made man and a self-described rebel who thrived in one of the most volatile and economically robust eras in U.S. history, while managing to maintain a unique leadership style. In what is the most anticipated book on business management for our time, Jack Welch surveys the landscape of his career running one of the world's largest and most successful corporations.
For all those who are curious about taking a peek inside a notable CEO's head--but are allergic to Chainsaw Al Dunlap--"Jack: Straight from the Gut" may be the best thing to hit the market in a long time. It's no literary masterpiece (Welch is a notable CEO, not Alfred Lord Tennyson), but it is a candid, comprehensive look at Welch's career at General Electric, mostly focusing on the
20 years he spent as the corporate giant's Chief Executive. It sheds light into the way Jack Welch thought, the people he surrounded himself with, and the environment in which he made decisions. Today Welch is somewhat of an American business icon, having been very successful at the helm of GE--and that in itself will draw many readers to this volume. It's well worth reading and has a few chapters of particular interest, not least of all the way Welch rationalizes the massive layoffs he orchestrated in the 1980s while engaging in otherwise lavish spending. Naturally he pats himself on the back for it all, yet does so in a way that's unconvincing and lukewarm to anyone but himself. Welch's talents as a corporate leader are indisputable (though critics will say that he hasn't always practiced what he preached), and Jack Welch's own life provides insight on both what characteristics to pursue and--perhaps inadvertently-what to avoid in order to become an example of business success and moral leadership alike
