The Barnes & Noble Review
During his 21-year tenure as chairman and chief executive of General Electric, Jack Welch redefined business c... read full description
During his 21-year tenure as chairman and chief executive of General Electric, Jack Welch redefined business c... read full description
reviews
Dec 23, 2011
David
rated it: 
Jack Welch led General Electric for over 20 years. He was arguably one of the best CEOs in the country at that time. After blowing the roof off of one of the factories, he went on to lead the company through some very profitable years.
This book might be seen as self-promoting and maybe it is. Then again, aren't all autobiographies a little self-promoting? Jack takes the opportunity to tell us where he made mistakes and what he wishes now he had done to avoid them.
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This book might be seen as self-promoting and maybe it is. Then again, aren't all autobiographies a little self-promoting? Jack takes the opportunity to tell us where he made mistakes and what he wishes now he had done to avoid them.
More...
Sep 11, 2011
Alexander
rated it:
Это прекрасная книга для руководителей. Настоящих и будущих.
Неважно, будет это собственный бизнес, огромная компания, отдел из нескольких человек, домашнее хозяйство или даже собственное тело.
Джек Уэлч - один из самых известных менеджеров 20 века. Он знаменит своей твердостью и жесткостью, однако при этом огромной креативностью, увлеченностью и, конечно, успешностью. За 20 лет работы на высшей руководящей должности компании General Electric он увеличил размеры компании в 10 раз.
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Неважно, будет это собственный бизнес, огромная компания, отдел из нескольких человек, домашнее хозяйство или даже собственное тело.
Джек Уэлч - один из самых известных менеджеров 20 века. Он знаменит своей твердостью и жесткостью, однако при этом огромной креативностью, увлеченностью и, конечно, успешностью. За 20 лет работы на высшей руководящей должности компании General Electric он увеличил размеры компании в 10 раз.
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Jun 12, 2010
nitin
rated it: 
This book is an easy read and felt short to me. Clearly, Jack accomplished a lot in his career. But after reading the book, it is not clear (to me) how he did it.
He worked hard, demanded excellence, fired the bottom 10% each year, and came up with new initiatives every few years.
The most valuable part of the book, in my opinion, was a description of GE's 4 Es rating system.
E: Energy
E: Energize (the people around you)
E: Edge - ability to make a decision More...
He worked hard, demanded excellence, fired the bottom 10% each year, and came up with new initiatives every few years.
The most valuable part of the book, in my opinion, was a description of GE's 4 Es rating system.
E: Energy
E: Energize (the people around you)
E: Edge - ability to make a decision More...
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Nov 12, 2009
Rahul
rated it:
Another inspiring gritty tale of a corporate giant. He openly talks about his ambitions and journey to the top position at GE with interesting anecdotes. This is a great book for anyone in the corporate world. I read this book the first time when I was still a student and after about 5 yrs. of experience when I read it again recently I found it more relevant. This is a book you can come back to again at different points in your corporate career and take out learnings. Jack's discussion about con
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Mar 19, 2010
Recommended by Matthew Lampros. A reviewer said: As CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, Welch gutted the company and almost started over - focusing on key business lines, divesting less profitable or beneficial ones, exploring new areas, driving improvements and innovation. This is his own memoir of how he led the company through a period of dramatic growth and redefinition. In a mixture of personal memoir and leadership training manual, it contains good insights into his business sense,
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Nov 22, 2008
David
rated it:
As CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, Welch gutted the company and almost started over - focusing on key business lines, divesting less profitable or beneficial ones, exploring new areas, driving improvements and innovation. This is his own memoir of how he led the company through a period of dramatic growth and redefinition. In a mixture of personal memoir and leadership training manual, it contains good insights into his business sense, focus on quality, ability to lead and inspire, et
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Jul 06, 2008
Mohammed
rated it:
This is book a a biography of the life and career of Jack Welch, One of the most successful CEO s of General Electrics. It tells the story of his personal life, background and the rough road he had to take in order to achieve his success.
The decisions and actions made by this man in his GE career was soon turned into subjects to be taught in universities & colleges. I was surprised when I first read the book, Jack acted based on his instincts & nothing else. The concepts he used More...
The decisions and actions made by this man in his GE career was soon turned into subjects to be taught in universities & colleges. I was surprised when I first read the book, Jack acted based on his instincts & nothing else. The concepts he used More...
Dec 01, 2007
Narrator: Mike Barnicle
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2001
Length: 14 hours
Publisher's Summary
As CEO of General Electric for the past 20 years, Jack Welch has built its market cap by more than $450 billion and established himself as the most admired business leader in the world. His championing of initiatives like Six Sigma quality, globalization, and e-business have helped define the modern corporation. At the same time, he is a gutsy boss who has forged a unique philos More...
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2001
Length: 14 hours
Publisher's Summary
As CEO of General Electric for the past 20 years, Jack Welch has built its market cap by more than $450 billion and established himself as the most admired business leader in the world. His championing of initiatives like Six Sigma quality, globalization, and e-business have helped define the modern corporation. At the same time, he is a gutsy boss who has forged a unique philos More...
Nov 22, 2011
Danijel
rated it:
Prologue
this is no perfect business story. I believe that business is a lot like a world-class restaurant. When you peek behind the kitchen doors, the food never looks as good as when it comes to your table on fine china perfectly garnished. Business is messy and chaotic. In our kitchen, I hope you'll fine something that might be helpful to you in reaching your own dreams.
I've learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.
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Feb 10, 2009
Tohru
rated it:
I read this when I was 3 years into my present career. I was lost and disappointed as I felt like I was going nowhere - no promotion, no opportunity, etc. My mentor in a different dept recommended I read this to learn how mentally immature I was as a business professional. After reading this, I realized my flaw and attitude. Excellent way to understand how your company wants you to think - no matter what your position is, you need to think like the owner of your company.
Mar 18, 2011
dario
rated it: 
Jack "Neutron" Welch, aplica fórmulas, que a las luces de muchos son revolucionarias.
No es mi caso.
Algunos lo aplauden como un mesías, un gurú.
Y lo que lleva a cabo es simplemente apretar clavijas a más no poder.
De los trabajadores, bien gracias. Una variable más dentro del engranaje productivo.
Este libro no hace más que confirmarlo.
El apodo no es casual.
Empresa que pide los servicios de Jack, de seguro, lo único que quedará en pie serán las pare
No es mi caso.
Algunos lo aplauden como un mesías, un gurú.
Y lo que lleva a cabo es simplemente apretar clavijas a más no poder.
De los trabajadores, bien gracias. Una variable más dentro del engranaje productivo.
Este libro no hace más que confirmarlo.
El apodo no es casual.
Empresa que pide los servicios de Jack, de seguro, lo único que quedará en pie serán las pare
Mar 15, 2011
Jeffrey
rated it: 
This is one of my all-time favorite reads. Anybody who wants to own a business, or anyone who currently owns a business, should make this a top priority read. He discusses the origins of Six Sigma and some of the other guiding principles that led to his success as the CEO of General Electric. I wish his successor, Jeff Imalt, would read his predecessors biography.
Feb 03, 2011
Brandon
rated it:
I enjoyed learning the history of GE and the subtleties of the various different businesses (E.g. plastics, medical, aircraft, appliances, etc.). What really struck me was the unique management and leadership philosophy that Jack instilled in GE over his long career. Accountable performance is key, but more importantly it's all about developing people.
Apr 29, 2010
Eric
rated it:
Jack mentions in this book that there is a time to "let someone go" if they could be more productive in another career or pursuit. That sort of tough evaluation/love has stuck with me. As with many books, I no longer have a copy and will not have quoted his exact words. There are also some decent bios on the people within his organization and how they reached different levels of success ... was the the speedboat in the bay from this book as well?
Eric
Eric
Jul 09, 2009
Kc
rated it:
Pretty good story about his rise to CEO with all the success and the failure. Good read from a man with a strong personality, a little flair for preaching, a bit of egotism and a lot of charisma and knowledge.
"By not aligning measurements and rewards, you often get what you're not looking for."
"By not aligning measurements and rewards, you often get what you're not looking for."
Feb 04, 2011
Kent
rated it:
Great CEO, Did wonders for GE...Definitely one of the CEO's that you can respect due to his integrity! A rare quality. Little overwhelming in details at time, but that's due to me being out of the business world for a decade..But was a interesting read and was great to hear his thought process.
Mar 08, 2011
Abby
rated it: 
It had some good nuggets about corporate america...and how he ran GE. It's an autobiography, but 98% about his work at GE, so sometimes it got sloooow. And over my head when they talk about stock options and deals. And Six Sigma. A glossary in the back would have been helpful.
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Dec 03, 2011
Marcia
rated it:
This is a fascinating autobiography of Jack Welch, GE's youngest CEO. Welch is objective, entertaining, and informative about his business ideas. His mother's influence is obvious. Welch describes his failures as well as triumphs. The story is interesting and entertaining.
Mar 12, 2010
Faris
rated it:
Nicely written autobiography. I always enjoy reading about what the greats of our time have done, where their passions laid, and how they got to their prime by driving those passions.
The book covered some good discussions about the various stages of his life and career.
The book covered some good discussions about the various stages of his life and career.
Nov 06, 2009
If i wanted to a CEO of a huge corporate organisation, I would have savoured this book. I like it alot, coz it gave me an angle I was never really sure of, what indeed the mind of a very successful business and CEO works.....now I know.
Jun 23, 2011
James
rated it:
My first read by Jack Welch and introduced me to his hard nosed, big business philosophy.
Have to admit that this one had me falling asleep in the beginning, but once I caught on to how Jack relays information I was hooked.
Have to admit that this one had me falling asleep in the beginning, but once I caught on to how Jack relays information I was hooked.
Apr 19, 2011
Gina
rated it:
Easy to see how GE went from "Good to Great" under Jack's leadership. I know a lot of people will say he was a tough boss and all that. He made a tremendous impact on the people and the company in a seriously positive way.
Jun 15, 2011
Julie
rated it:
Loved this book and love Jack Welch. Although it's sometimes dry, it's a great peek into the operations of a great company, Welch's rise through the ranks and the thought process behind selecting a successor.
May 12, 2011
Ayman
rated it:
I guess it is like most biography books . some chapters are so and so and some are interesting and good to read. depends in what are you looking for. overall it was inspiring and i enjoy reading it.
Mar 10, 2010
Jeffrey
rated it:
- A great book, lots of insight and detail. It gives readers a chance to feel how he managed and steered one of the biggest companies in the world. Very inspiring from a professional standpoint.
Oct 09, 2009
Frank
rated it:
I expected more insight - I actually skipped about 2/3rds of the book. I was not interested in how GE expanded its global market. I was more insterested in how Jack worked.
Feb 03, 2009
Tends to drone on, and drops a lot of names and too much detail concerning those people. It seems like a published version of his acknowledgement of his co-workers.
Feb 25, 2009
Alissa
rated it:
I listened to this on audio and got a little tired of his accent, but it is an interesting story and I appreciated his business perspective.
Oct 10, 2010
Anthony
rated it:
The book was alright. Nothing great but Welch's insights into what he has done. I wish he spoke more about what he did while being CEO of GE.
Mar 25, 2010
Suresh
rated it:
Excellent narration of 20 years in GE. Good book for everyone in the business world. Also felt bit of repetetion in the second half.
