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Winning (Audio CD)
by Jack Welch, Suzy Welch
| Category:
Leadership, Management, Organization, Motivation |
| Market price: ¥ 418.00
MSL price:
¥ 388.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
From the "Manager of the Century", comes another biblical leadership manual for business leaders of all types of organizations. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 13 items |
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Publishers Weekly (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
One oft-heard comment about Welch's generally praised (and bestselling) 2001 memoir, Jack: Straight from the Gut, was that the book skimped on useful business advice. The respected but controversial former chief of General Electric pays readers back double here. Written with Welch's wife, a onetime editor of the Harvard Business Review, the book delivers a brilliant career's worth of consistently astute (and often iconoclastic) business wisdom and knowledge from the man Fortune magazine called "the manager of the century." Welch knows what he's talking about, and here offers an admirably concise primer on how to do business that's a paragon of tough common sense. From practices he employed at GE (e.g., the much-debated differentiation, which includes winnowing 10% of the workforce at regular intervals), to the personal qualities that lead to success (to Welch, candor is essential), to advice on job hunting and how to work with a bad boss, to ways to maximize the budget process (divorce it from performance rewards), Welch comments frankly and by myriad example, with a common touch that will draw readers in ("that was hardly the first time I'd gotten my clock cleaned by the press"). He explains upfront that the book arose as an attempt to codify his beliefs, in response to the many questions he's received at numerous public appearances since he retired from GE in 2001; as such the book has a somewhat lumpy feel, like an overstuffed bag of presents. But the writing, full of personality and ideas, is a model of clarity and insight, even on such dense subjects as the quality control program Six Sigma. It's difficult to think of anyone in business who wouldn't benefit from reading this savvy, engaging cubicle-to-boardroom guide to success; and it's likely, given Welch's reputation and the massive ad/promo HarperCollins is putting behind the book, that enough business people will want to read it to push it toward the top of the charts. |
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Warren E. Buffett (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
When you talk with Jack about management, his energy and passion fill the room. Yet get a similar experience with this book - the same qualities jump at you from every page. |
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Bill Gates (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
A candid and comprehensive look at how to succeed in business – for everyone from college graduates to CEOs. |
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Fortune (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Manager of the Century. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Winning by Jack Welch is a fantastic book about what it takes for businesses to succeed, along with some other answers for personal careers and some frequently answered questions.
The chapter I probably most enjoyed was the one on candor. Jack makes the claim that for a business to succeed, its employees must be able to ask candid questions. As many people keep their mouths shut as to not "rock the boat", Jack states that candor allows a business to get to the root of problems and eliminate waste. I did want some more information as to how to apply candor in the marketplace because you certainly cannot just go around stating your mind without boundaries.
Jack also gets into other topics such as differentiation, mergers and acquisitions, organic growth, and career choice and advancement. Much of what Jack has to say is extremely insightful and interesting. Jack is simplistic when he needs to be, such as in the career choice chapter which really boils down to keep changing careers until you find the one for you. He also offers detailed analysis when it comes to issues such as mergers and acquisitions.
While, I would certainly accept business advice from Mr. Welch, I would take personal and life advice from him with a grain of salt. Jack has dedicated his life to work and business and it shows. He is certainly wise when it comes to business issues, but he lacks much when it comes to issues of life.
Regardless, Winning is a fantastic book that all business people should read. It is easy to read, to the point, and offers some fantastic advice. Pick this one up. 5 out of 5 stars.
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Shane Brewer (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Winning by Jack Welch is a fantastic book about what it takes for businesses to succeed, along with some other answers for personal careers and some frequently answered questions.
The chapter I probably most enjoyed was the one on candor. Jack makes the claim that for a business to succeed, its employees must be able to ask candid questions. As many people keep their mouths shut as to not "rock the boat", Jack states that candor allows a business to get to the root of problems and eliminate waste. I did want some more information as to how to apply candor in the marketplace because you certainly cannot just go around stating your mind without boundaries.
Jack also gets into other topics such as differentiation, mergers and acquisitions, organic growth, and career choice and advancement. Much of what Jack has to say is extremely insightful and interesting. Jack is simplistic when he needs to be, such as in the career choice chapter which really boils down to keep changing careers until you find the one for you. He also offers detailed analysis when it comes to issues such as mergers and acquisitions.
While, I would certainly accept business advice from Mr. Welch, I would take personal and life advice from him with a grain of salt. Jack has dedicated his life to work and business and it shows. He is certainly wise when it comes to business issues, but he lacks much when it comes to issues of life.
Regardless, Winning is a fantastic book that all business people should read. It is easy to read, to the point, and offers some fantastic advice. Pick this one up. 5 out of 5 stars. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Oftentimes, before I read a book, I do a little research on the writer. Typically, you want to learn from someone with credentials. This way, you can be assured that you're receiving sound advice. Well, I didn't have to look up the author of this book. For those of you who don't already know, Jack Welch was the longtime leader and CEO of General Electric. In his long stay at GE, he helped grow GE into the half trillion net worth company it is today.
Now, about the book. Although the book doesn't introduce any novel, ground-breaking ideas, it does present some timely business principles that have proven to work time and time again. Essentially, Welch expounds upon the principles that he feels have proved to be most important to the success of GE as well as numerous other companies.
He covers a diverse range of topics ranging from corporate strategy to the infamous 20-70-10 differentiation rule (read the book). He also includes eight leadership principles that cover soft skills (communicating vision, building trust, motivating others) and character attributes (making the tough call, being positive, being nurturing to the core). The book's front cover reads, "No other management book will ever be needed." Although this may not be entirely true, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who sees themselves running a corporation in the future. |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Introduction
I thoroughly enjoyed reading WINNING. The book provides individuals insights, even tactics on how to be successful, particularly in a profession. The aim of the book is to answer the question, "How can I win?" for individuals and organizations.
I will now provide some highlights of the book I found to be particularly useful.
- How to Win as an Individual?
- Candor and a positive attitude, both will earn one credibility, trust, and admiration
- Leadership
- Leaders (managers) must evaluate performance , coach teams, and build self-confidence in individuals to be effective. It is critically important for Leaders to establish trust. See the above on how to win.
- How to Hire?
- Look for Integrity, Intelligence, and Maturity in individuals. A very important note is that individuals can be mature at any age and immature at any age. Do not stereotype young or old people regarding their maturity because of their age. Look for the 4 Es in a person, which are
(1) ENERGY
(2) Ability to ENERGIZE others
(3) EDGE (courage)
(4) EXECUTE (accomplish goals)
and also one P, which is PASSION.
- People Management
- To effectively manage people, an organization needs to take people seriously. Human Resources needs to be elevated in an organization to a position of substantial power, possibly equal in importance to the CFO. Further, reliable mechanisms must be in place to reward top performers with money, recognition, and training. HR must closely look after the development and growth of an organization.
- How to Part Ways
- You will have to read the book, but Jack and Suzy Welch discuss how to part ways with individuals due to integrity violations, economic downturns, and nonperformance.
- How to Deal with Change?
- Change for the sake of change is "stupid." Change is ultimately good, necessary, and important. However, while undergoing change, particularly radical changes, a clear purpose or goal must be communicated.
- Dealing with Crisis Management
- In the book, steps and assumptions are outlined to effectively deal with an organizational crisis.
- Strategy
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- In the book, strategy is defined as "making clear-cut choices about how to compete." To accomplish this end, you must examine the market, competition, yourself, the future, and possible winning moves to win.
- Budgeting
- (I really loved this chapter). An organization needs the right budget process! "Compensation for individuals and businesses is not linked to performance against budget. It is linked primarily to performance against the prior year and against the competition, and takes real strategic opportunities and obstacles into account" (p. 198).
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Assess the cultural fit as well as the strategic fit. The cultural fit of the two companies is equally if not more important than the strategic fit.
- How to Find the Right Job?
- Look at the people involved, opportunities, options, ownership, and work content of the position.
- Promotion?
- Amass mentors, see how to win.
- Bad Bosses
- Refuse to be a victim! Ride it out. If you deal with a bad boss, you will be ultimately rewarded (perhaps).
- Work-Life Balance
- Set priorities at work, at home, in your life. If you can, when at work, work. When not at work, play. The more you blend the two, the more stressed you will become.
- Tying Up Loose Ends
- In regards to China, discern the opportunities for your company, not the negatives.
Quotas in organizations are a disaster. Never appoint irresponsible people to responsible positions. All organizations should be a meritocracy, and people should ascend on merit.
The European Union (EU) in the long-term will be beneficial for the world.
Sarbannes-Oxley Act is beneficial but a bit extreme and requires a few important revisions.
- Conclusion
I think the book is definitely worth reading. I truly enjoyed the insights provided in the book about managing GE. If I may say so, I believe Jack Welch is a positive realist. He believes in people, and that is made obvious throughout the book. I think he was an excellent and honest manager, and it is very important for people who want to win to read Winning; it explains how to do it. |
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Porter (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-25 00:00>
I wish Jack Welch a long life, but he may be the first to show that a person on his deathbed can wish that he had spent more time at the office. Work was, and still is, his great passion, and being a successful businessman is the only thing he ever wanted in life. Other than playing some golf and cheering for the Red Sox, he developed no hobbies or outside interests. "My kids were raised, largely alone, by their mother," he admits.
Of course he was a successful businessman, spectacularly successful in fact, and learning from that success is the whole point of the book. He is a bright man, and both from his career at GE and his business contacts elsewhere, he knows a lot about what works and what doesn't in the corporate world. His basic views on hiring, firing, and motivating employees are already widely emulated in the business world, and he explains them well here, with lots of examples. His emphasis on candor in the workplace, instead of people withholding information or criticism as the organization heads for a false and potentially disastrous consensus, was my favorite chapter. And for someone who never left the fast track to success, Welch has excellent advice on handling setbacks and dealing with bad bosses.
Considering that the book is for highly educated professionals, the style of the writing is surprisingly light and simple. Sentences are short and often end with exclamation points. Chapters are broken up into sections that are only a few pages long. I'm not complaining, mind you. I read much of the book in a noisy cafeteria during my lunch break, and it would be nice if all authors realized that reading usually isn't done in monastery-like conditions. However, some of the subjects Welch tries to address, like Six Sigma and corporate mergers, require more intellectual heft than this format is able to provide. The book's front cover blurb, "No other management book will ever be needed," is an unkept promise.
Learn from Jack Welch; there's certainly a lot of wisdom in the book. But don't be exactly like him. Pursue a hobby, volunteer in your community, and raise your children.
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Bernd Kotz (MSL quote), Germany
<2007-01-25 00:00>
Jack Welch made a staggering entry with his book Jack: Straight from the Gut. His new book concentrates on the managing principles. He is the person who manages people and capital in the right direction. Winning concentrates on the three main aspects of his managing philosophy. It is about your company, the competition advantage and your career.
He explains his leadership and how to hire and manage people in the organization. Leadership is supporting people with financial means and acknowledgement. His key to success is to reward people in an appropriate way. He had three basic elements of his vision of leading a company. That is values, condor, and differentiation. On this he builds his winning triangle. The book offers a variety of ideas to solve a problem or to make business simple. But it takes a plan, courage and the ambition to get things work. Winning is all, it makes us serene and wealthy. Jack Welch gives us a good advice to follow on in life. |
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