Winning

This is an excellent book! From the moment you start reading you will not be able to put it down! This is not a book from someone that simply went to Yale or Harvard and in his late 30's decided to write a book that just reiterates what he learned in Business School! This is a book from a seasoned Chief Executive who was on the Top of one of the biggest companies in the world....GE! He has seen it all and experienced all that a company (large or small) will go through. The values and principles he describes in his book are second to none and can be applied in any company! Want to know how it feels to be the boss and want to achieve results.....then by all means read Jack's Book!!

A wide canvas is painted by the author who needs no introduction. From basic fundamentals of values , mission and strategy to People leadership, Mergers and crisis management. It is interesting to see how minds of CEOs work and their perspectives on various organizational dimensions. Shows how mindset needs to change when a functional manager aspires to become a generalist.

This book is fabulous. Jack writes about what it takes to make intelligent choices and gives some great examples. Years ago, I heard Jack ask the question, "How do we identify the best?" and it struck me that this man doesn't settle for second best. From business decisions such as acquisitions and human resources, Jack shows himself as an optimizer. So if you want to win in business, read this book from cover to cover. I highly recommend Optimal Thinking (Wiley) to be read in tandem to minimize downtime and make the most of any situation.

This book shows a lot of passion and careful thinking from Jack Welch. It's a great representation of his latest ideas applied to modern business. There is also a level of honesty in his perspective that is refreshing compared to other books he has written in recent years. I just read a Wall Street Journal article where he discussed emotional intelligence as a critical quality leaders need, so I also purchased "The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book." It was really great and an excellent pairing to this book.

There are two ways to look at this book and at Jack's management philosophies. One can focus on Jack Welch the person, or Jack Welch the business leader. For those who choose to focus on Jack Welch as a person and how he lived his personal life, then I suggest he is not the man to follow. However, if you want some simple, powerful and proven management practices, then he is arguably one of the best ever. I continue to be amazed at the simple clarity of his message: empower others, ask questions, tap into the potential of all of your associates, choose integrity and candor over charts, graphs, and politics, and spend more time in action instead of planning and posturing budgets. I cannot read his words, or hear him speak without feeling again as I did as a member of his team at GE. Without fail, I was inspired and honored to be at a company which really believed that bureaucracy was to be avoided, and those who could look at reality without the politics and act accordingly were highly regarded. The one aspect I did not count on was that after leaving GE due to geographical and travel demands, those simple truths which engage and inspire people to reach stretch goals would be so rare. In fact the most basic aspects of candor and open honest dialog about the business are punished in some organizations. The book itself is written in a conversational tone. It is easy to read, and feels as though you are in a dialog with him over a cup of coffee. Several key themes emerge which may be surprising to others who know him by reputation only. One, Jack holds no malice and actually celebrates those whose careers involved leaving GE for roles elsewhere. This is a rather unique view, as many organizations have a misguided loyalty requirement that actually stifles the very performance potential they seek. Second, Jack seems to be more reflective of how he missed the boat on the whole work/life balance concept. Third, his willingness to openly admit mistakes is refreshing and contrary to his criticisms by others of his ego. I found the sections on developing people, and setting business strategy to be most helpful. He understands, where few others do, that huge PowerPoint decks and consultants will not meet the need of your clients, nor will the usual political tactics help your business move forward. I recommend this book highly, it is much more real than anything he has written before, and his passion and energy jump off every page.