Rating: 
Summary: A Home Run!
Review: As a Professor teaching Management courses, this is a MUST READ for all who wish to manage any global business. It is a page turner and throughly enjoyable journey!
Rating: 
Summary: From a Child of a Career GE Executive
Review: This is a very interesting account of the changes in GE from the immediate post-war boom to the very different business climate of today. On the whole it is well written and easy reading. You do not need a business degree to get some benefit from it. However, some of the terminology used will be understood only by the initiated. An example is Six-Sigma, a quality control initiative that seeks to dramatically decrease defects in products and services. It is mentioned early and often but not really explained until late in the book. Still, small business owners and entrepreneurs might find some helpful ideas here.
Mr. Welch was successful in breaking up the staid bureaucracy of a very large corporation. My father, who started with GE as an electrical engineer in 1949 and retired as a plant manager in 1980, often commented that the only way he could be promoted and make more money was to give up hands-on engineering and move into management. Differentiation, the idea of rewarding those who produce results, might have allowed him to remain an engineer. Instead, he had to play the promotion game, which often meant stepping on your co-workers to climb the ladder. Many times the back-stabbing politician got the promotion, not the best leader.
The major failing, either of GE or Mr. Welch for not explaining it well, is that GE still seems to be a very male organization at the top. Almost all anectdotes are about men, the best and brightest are men, you have to play golf at the big meetings, ideas are expressed in sports analogies, and any discussion about diversity is limited to two paragraphs on page 380 (out of 445). The reader really has no clear idea about whether women and minorities have shared in the new culture that is GE today that Mr. Welch is so (rightly) proud of.
Rating:
Summary: Great Business Lessions
Review: This is the best business book to come out in years. Anyone in business should be able to pick up 3-4 good ideas and stories. Jack's energy and simple way of looking at things really motivates me. It is interesting and does not get bogged down in theory or fluff.
Rating:
Summary: First, you debrief, then you read Jack
Review: If you are a C type person, employee or in general, first you get a tape recorder and a package of tapes. Then you sit and go through all the reasons you haven't succeeded. You complain about your mother, your father, your dysfunctional family,about your addictions, about your bad luck, about how you have suffered more than most people, etc. etc. For as long as it takes, just you pour out your guts to the tape recorder. Then play it back and listen. When you get tired of hearing yourself, give yourself a hug and see that after all is said and done, you are still alive and well and you are a good person. Maybe life is good after all. Then read this book. A.B. Curtiss, author of Depression is a Choice:Winning the Battle Without Drugs.
Rating:
Summary: I'll Tell It Like It Is -- Jack-straight
Review: I'm giving it to you "jack-straight". This is one of my two all-time favorite books on character and leadership in America. And, I think that over the past 30 years I must have read all the major offerings. So, my advice to everyone is, don't miss this book. Like the second of my two all-time favorites, "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick, it's wonderfully inspiring. In fact, the two books compliment eachother. Together, you get the whole picture. Get the picture? That's the jack-straight truth.
Rating:
Summary: JACK - AN INSPIRATION TO ALL
Review: The autobiography of Jack, the most admired CEO and Leader of the second half of the 20th century starts with a modest Author's note to read as "WE" wherever he uses " I." .The book seems to be more a biography of GE which is understandable since GE was Welch's life from the time he joined the firm in 1960.In 'Section I' he talks about his early years from his childhood till he became CEO of GE. Jack is very lucky to have a mother who taught him the two most important things required to succeed in this world (1) Self confidence and (2) Self esteem (page 5). He says that the key principles behind his successful management style can be traced to his mother (page 4). Jack has learned working hard from his father. Jack goes on in this section to explain how he made his way to the top. Charlie Reed the corporate group executive made a huge impression on Jack when Jack's team blew the roof off. Jack writes "When people make mistakes, the last thing they need is discipline. It 's time for encouragement and confidence building." (page 29). He also talks about how supportive his wife Carolyn was for his success. This section mainly shows how Jack handpicked the right person for the right job which paved his way to success and become the CEO. In 'Section II & III' Jack talks about his Vision, experiences and accomplishments as CEO.Jack explains his Philosophy, his strategies and the boundaryless culture he brought in GE. With the No. 1 or No. 2 ,"fix, sell, or close" strategy he sold and acquired many businesses and product lines. Jack cut around 1,00,000 jobs which earned him the name "Neutron Jack" (page 125). Jack says "Making tough-minded decisions about people and plants is a prerequisite to earning the right to talk about soft values, like excellence or the learning organization" (page 124). He explains the four Es of GE leadership Energy, Energizer, Edge & Execution and how they are connected by one P-Passion. He used Crotonville the place to develop leaders and to spread his message within GE. He says that Work-out and Boundaryless behaviour created a culture where everyone began playing a part (page 184). In most chapters, he briefly highlights the history and the background thinking that led to various mergers and acquisitions, shares a few examples of what went right and wrong, explains what his thoughts were while they were occurring, and provides a scorecard for GE's performance. In 'Section IV' he explains the four major initiatives pursued by GE namely Globalization ,Services , Six Sigma and E-business. Jack says "Making initiatives successful is all about focus and passionate commitment. The drumbeat must be relentless. Every leadership action must demonstrate total commitment to the initiative (page 299). He talks very highly about his visit to India and about the people of India. In 'Section V' he explains the proposed acquisition of Honeywell and why it failed. Jack gives some of his formulae on being a CEO. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining Integrity at all times. He gives a short reflection on Golf his favorite game. He gives a brief overview on the selection of his successor Jeff Immelt and says he was the "Right Guy". Under the stewardship of Jack GE has produced many Leaders who have taken charge as CEO of various companies in America. His history as CEO of GE and his war against bureaucracy will live long and inspire many CEOs to keep him as role model. It is worth mentioning what Noel Tichy writes in his book The Leadership Engine. "The two years at GE taught me more about leadership than the previous decade and a half. I only partly understood it at the time." Every CEO and every manager who aspires to become a CEO must read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Emotions
Review: Jack Welch is obviously a great business man. The book clearly points out his many accomplishments in transforming a large multi enterprise organization. Jack certainly has enough ego to let us know how great he is. There is some substance here, but you have to work through the book and weave together some salient points to apply some concepts to one's day to day endeavors. This book left me with some mixed emotions. First, was the tremendous commitment he made to the ORGANIZATION. I assume it coost him his first marriage as well as precious time with his kids. Please notice that all the pictures of him with his own kids, there is no touching. The second mixed emotion I have is how judgemental he is. He has no problem "sizing" people up and placing them in some box he has defined. He comes across as a person who can not tolerant people who are different than he is. Which leads to the third mixed emotion I had. Most of the people in this book are MEN with the typical names, Bob, Bill, Tom, Dick and Harry. I sense he prefers the company of men, especially white men than he does women or ethnic minorites. I know many people who work for GE. Don't believe the hype about it being a culture of merit and fairness. One GE employee said it best, " it may be the most admired company in the world, but you will never see it ranked as one of the best companies to work for". You need to be thick skinned to get through this book or work for GE.
Rating: 
Summary: Blech
Review: I've seen the managerial techniques espoused by Neutron Jack in practise. In my experience, they're destructive, resulting in lowered productivity and morale. If you're looking for effective management advice, look to the works of Edwards Deming.
Rating:
Summary: Be Smart
Review: For those reviewers who criticized this book, I suggest you couple your reading it with reading "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick. You'll see, and more important, understand the virtues Jack Welch is expounding. And, most important, it will help your economic lifestyle as it helps you slide down the bannisters of life that have all the splinters pointing in the other direction.
Rating:
Summary: A View Into Jack's World
Review: I thought the most powerful parts of his story had to do with how hard he worked to make the GE succession process as fair as it could possibly be for all the candidates. It is clear that Mr. Welch is an open and honest guy who wants people to succeed on their merits. Also, he cuts through all the jargon and makes Six Sigma make great practical sense. Anyone considering implementing a quality program should read this book. Anyone working at any level in any organization will benefit from reading this candid view from the top of a superior company.
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