Essay on Leadership (Jack Welch)

After watching Jack Welch’s lecture at MIT, where Welch explains his leadership philosophies and business acumen, it presented me with an opportunity to compare and contrast my own beliefs to that of Jack Welch. In this paper, I will examine and discuss aspects of the lecture that I agree with, as well as, aspects that I do not agree with. In addition, I will provide examples that I have seen in the workplace that coincide with Jack Welch’s presentation.

General Electric has had exceptional leadership that has kept the company at the top of their business. This success is attributed to both individual efforts to spur the corporation and the consequential results achieved collectively. GE has established the entire organization based on creativity and innovation, as they tend to inspire the public and improve their present lifestyles. However, this subject needs thorough discussion by distinguishing between standalone innovators and the one who rely on others, that is, gauging the difference between the leaders who accomplish their purposes through force or those who use persuasion (Machiavelli, p.21). This ideology of GE has

Besides showing traits of a transformational leader, Welch undertook the management of General Electric with a somewhat “ruthless toughness” (Thompson, 2004:44-45) that was highly frowned upon, and deemed to be far from an ideal model of leadership. The organisation’s culture made leaders

Hierarchical organizational levels were dramatically reduced, enabling the company to operate as a “lean and agile” business. From the moment he took over the business, Welch went full force into implementing a “real time planning” strategy. At the time of his appointment, the United States economy was in a recession. To combat this situation, Jack Welch had to develop a plan of action aimed at keeping the company thriving in the business world. In order to accomplish this, GE sold many of their businesses, which represented 25% of their sales. However, during that time, Welch simultaneously and strategically invested in other businesses, increasing their revenue and operating profits. How effectively did he take charge? Welch was extremely effective in taking over the GE reins. Although his predecessor was quite successful during his reign and the business thrived, there was still the need for change. The business world was evolving and competitors attempted nonstop to stay ahead of GE. Fortunately, Jones had left the company in a “good place” during

• Jack Welch was an “entrepreneur …willing to take well considered business risks – and at the same time know how to work in harmony with a larger business entity”

Welch encountered a very difficult situation in 1981; the economy was in a recession, almost one of the worst recessions any organization has witnessed since the Great Depression of 1929.  The strong dollar was losing value and the unemployment rate was at an all time high.  Interest rates were consistently on the incline during the time Welch took over as CEO of GE.  Jack Welch was both a transformational and transactional leader who displayed an aggressive competitive style of leadership.  He did not let the recession deter him from maintaining a competitive advantage over the competition.  His philosophy was to ensure that GE was either #1 or #2

Jack Welch has been named the “Manger of the Century” and has made innovative changes to management practices. He was born as John Francis Jr. on November 19, 1935 in Salem, Massachusetts. He attended Salem High School and then after graduating went to the University of Massachusetts. At the University of Massachusetts, Jack Welch received Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. After getting his bachelor degree he went to the University of Illinois and received his Masters and Doctorate. Jack Welch became a member of General Electrics in 1960. While working at GE, Jack Welch made a significant impact, but his start at GE was shaky.

Before Jack Welch stepped up into corporate office position, the world-famous corporation was on its route for imminent crisis which was barely noticed by anyone. As a result, he decided the company needed a change to combat economic and competitive challenges of the market place. With his various strategies regarding business leadership, he has led the company into salient and radical revolution of corporate restructuring, with the goal of transforming GE into a global leader for benchmarking and achieving maximized productivity and labor efficiency. His tactics for restructuring included purchases and sales of business units, moving away from bureaucratic culture and structure to one of openness and flexibility, removing unnecessary

The culture at General Electric, before Jack Welch assumed his role as CEO in 1981, was highly decentralized, where significant emphasis on strategic planning was levied on 43 Strategic Business Units. However, Jack’s vision of changing the culture of the company was a priority to him.

In the reign of Jack Welch during his 20-year at GE, a new leadership style was introduced and spread companywide. Welch developed a ranking system that put employees in one of the three categories. The top 20 percent were “stars”, the middle 70 percent were the crucial majority and the bottom 10 percent were weeded out. Through his policy of differentiation, Welch was able to separate those who

Mr. Jack Welch former chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) is amongst the renowned personalities in the field of business. His tenure as a CEO of GE lasted for two decades, which is celebrated for the excellent leadership skills that resulted in the 4000% growth of the company. He bought the change which was necessary for the companies earning at the time i.e. eliminating the communication barrier amongst the employees of the company, right sizing, introduction of succession planning and making tough decisions for letting go some of the profitable departments of the company. As a leader he had a clear vision; he knew what had to be done, which resources were needed and how much time it would take to bring the company

When Jack Welch took over GE in 1981 and became the youngest CEO in GE’s history, the well-known leader had determination to change GE into the world’s most competitive enterprise. Welch is a strategic thinker, business teacher, corporate icon and management theorist. With his exclusive leadership style and character, Welch made history during his long journey at GE. While most leaders talk a noble game on leadership, he lived it.

In 1981, 45-year-old Jack Welch became the eighth and youngest CEO in General Electric’s history. During his 20 years at the helm, Welch transformed the company from an aging industrial manufacturer into one of the world’s most competitive organisations, by building more shareholder wealth than any corporate chief in history. Time and again he reinvented the company, and time and again, his employees went along with it (Krames, 2002).

To begin any analysis of business leadership, it is important to analyze the characteristics that exist for leaders of traditional profit-driven organizations. One great example is Jack Welch. Welch embodied a football coach mentality based on managing. He often sought to influence employees to work effectively and efficiently through a less formal style via relaxed meeting and get-togethers. This approach allowed the employees to feel invested in both the company and to become loyal to him individually for facilitating their contributions. Throughout Welch's time as the CEO of General Electric, the most vital ingredients to his success was self-discipline, attention to detail and life balance (Lane, 2008). Though he appreciated creativity, to take an idea and

Welch spent more time with his HR executive than he did with his CFO. Therefore, he always found the right people for the right positions. NAME corroborated the business world’s perception of GE’s leadership cultivation practices saying, “When a company needs a CEO, it goes to General Electric, which mints business leaders the way West Point mints generals” (Get Me A CEO From GE, P1).