Discover what some of the most successful minds in business and finance have to say

In the fully revised Second Edition of Jack Welch Speaks, Lowe presents-in Jack Welch's own words-the insights, visions, and philosophies that have guided Welch throughout his extraordinary career at GE and his post-GE life. This book offers an objective assessment of Welch-from the management principles that helped him soar to the controversy surrounding his compensation package-and provides lessons in leadership that cannot be found anywhere else. With this book as their guide, readers will not only learn how Jack Welch became one of the world's most-lauded CEOs, but they'll also discover exactly what it takes to achieve unparalleled success in today's dynamic business environment.

Janet Lowe (Carlsbad, CA and Santa Fe, NM) is the author of the bestselling Bill Gates Speaks (0-471-29353-9) and Oprah Winfrey Speaks (0-471-39994-9). Her articles have appeared in such publications as Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

IN ONE DECADE: FROM LETTERMAN TO SEINFELD N AMERICAN ODYSSEY.

Growing Up in Salem.

The First to Go to College.

Sports Were Everything.

Ice Can’t Form on a Swift-Moving Stream.

Take This Job and Do It.

QUALITIES OF A LEADER: WELCH STYLE.

The Challenge: To Be Fair.

The Temperament of a Boss.

The Thrill of Victory.

A Typical Meeting with Chairman Welch.

Humor Us.

WELCH’S WORLD: GENERAL ELECTRIC.

The Engine Called General Electric.

GE: Just an Everyday $163 Billion Family Store.

Beyond National Borders.

Heros.

The Holy City.

GE Jargon.

Dirty Diamonds and Other GE Scandals.

THE FABRIC OF LEADERSHIP.

Be a Leader, Not a Manager.

No Ideas du Jour.

The Trap: Measuring Everything, Understanding Nothing.

Don’t Sell Hats to Each Other.

Share Information.

The Creed.

Four Types of Leaders.

The Best Mutual Fund in the World.

WELCH, THE CHANGE AGENT.

Change Before You Have To.

Go for the Leap.

Managing Paradox.

Productivity: Unlimited Juice in the Lemon.

THE HARDWARE REVOLUTION.

Putting Money on the Right Gambles.

Three Big Circles.

Be Number 1 or Number 2: A Concept That Should Be Gone.

Flattening the GE Wedding Cake.

Downsizing.

Honey, I Shrunk GE.

THE SOFTWARE REVOLUTION.

The Soft Values.

Workout.

Simplicity.

Speed.

Self-Confi dence.

Labor Unions.

A Boundaryless GE.

Searching the Planet for the Best Practices.

Teamwork.

Stretch.

Six Sigma Quality.

It All Comes Out in the Wash.

TAKING STOCK.

Fail Your Way to Success.

Welch’s Critics.

The German Point of View.

Being a Good Citizen.

Work/Life Balance.

How Much Is Leadership Worth?

What Made Jack Welch a Success?

THE ROCKY ROAD TO RETIREMENT.

The Race for Jack’s Job.

How the Contenders Have Done.

The Honeywell Hustle.

Honeywell after GE.

GE after Jack.

THE REINVENTION OF JACK WELCH.

Falling in Love.

Back at Harvard Business Review: A Moral Dilemma.

Who Is Suzy?

The Dirty Divorce.

Passing Back the Perks.

The Wedding.

The New Couple.

The John F. Welch College of Business.

Jack’s New Career.

SUMMING UP.

General Electric and Jack Welch— A Chronology.

Endnotes.

Permissions.

Janet Lowe is the author of the bestselling Warren Buffett Speaks and Bill Gates Speaks. Her articles have appeared in such publications as Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Considered one of the most dynamic CEOs of all time, Jack Welch transformed General Electric from an aging electronics manufacturer beset by foreign competitors into a world-class company that provided superb returns to investors. Even in retirement, Welch's voice is heard around the world, as he continues to address issues such as corporate management and personal and business success.

Now, in this completely updated edition of Jack Welch Speaks, bestselling author Janet Lowe presents the insights, visions, and philosophies that have guided Welch during his extraordinary career at GE and his post-GE life. Throughout these pages, Lowe intersperses her comments with extensive quotes from Welch on executive compensation, business ethics, and other issues that continue to plague corporate America. Lowe also digs deep to find theideas and values that enabled Welch to successfully reposition GE in the global marketplace.

Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Jack Welch Speaks offers an objective assessment of Welch's career—from the management principles that helped him excel to the controversy surrounding his compensation package—and provides lessons in leadership that cannot be found anywhere else. Here's just a sample of what you'll find inside:

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you became a leader, success is about growing others."

"When you're running an institution, you're always scared at first. You're afraid you might break it."

"Business is like any game. It has players, a language, a complex history, rules, controversies, and rhythm."

"If someone tells me 'I'm working 90 hours a week,' I say, 'You're doing something terribly wrong.' I go skiing on the weekend, I go out with my buddies on Friday and party. You've got to do the same or you've got a bad deal."

With this book as your guide, you'll not only learn how Jack Welch became one of the world's most-lauded CEOs, but you'll also discover exactly what it takes to achieve unparalleled success in today's dynamic business environment.

The world listens when Jack Welch Speaks.

Jack Welch is a global business legend. As chairman and CEO of General Electric, he was at the forefront of the reconstruction of American industry. In retirement, he hasn't disappeared from the world's economic canvas, but rather moved from a master manager to the master of his own universe. Now, in this new edition of Jack Welch Speaks, bestselling author Janet Lowe presents Welch—in his own words—and helps you to understand who he is, and how and why he does what he does.

"Jack Welch has long been one of my heroes. When you read this book you will understand why."

—Warren Buffett
CEO, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

"Jack Welch is a management genius who attacks life as he does business—with unconventional flair, a restless intellect, and no tolerance for phonies."

—Tom Brokaw former anchor and managing editor, NBC

"Jack Welch describes himself as 'just a man in a room.' Janet Lowe takes us into this room by letting the man speak for himself. Through his own words, it becomes clear why he is listened to and emulated all over the world. Big man, big room."

—Sam Nunn, CEO of NTI, former U.S. Senator (Georgia)

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Distributor: John Wiley & Sons
Publication Date: 10-26-2007
Pages: 304
Measurements: 183.5mm X 132.5mm X 29.4mm X 11.36oz