Winning by Jack Welch

Winning By Jack Welch

Section 2 - Your Company

In case you don't know Jack Welch, he worked at GE for 40 years. He retired in 2001 as chairman and CEO.

This book has 3 main sections, Your Company, Your Competition and Your Career. I'm providing a brief look at the section Your Company.

Chapter 5 Leadership - It's Not Just About You

What Leaders Do

1. Leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach and build self-confidence.

* You have to evaluate- making sure the right people are in the right jobs, supporting and advancing those who are, and moving out those who are not.

* You have to coach - guiding, critiquing, and helping people to improve their performance in every way.

* And finally, you have to build self-confidence - pouring out encouragement, caring and recognition. Self-confidence energizes, and it gives your people the courage to stretch, take risks, and achieve beyond their dreams. It is the fuel of winning teams.

2. Leaders make sure people not only see the vision, they live and breathe it.

* Say it in your sleep - communicate constantly and reinforce with reward

3. Leaders get into everyone's skin, exuding positive energy and optimism.

* Leaders mood is catching - fight gravitational pull of negativism - care about how your people are doing and how they are faring even in tough times

4. Leaders establish trust with candor, transparency and credit.

* transparency - free from pretense or deceit : FRANK ; characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices

* you weren't given a crown or parking space, but a responsibility to bring out the best in others

5. Leaders have the courage to make unpopular decisions and gut calls.

6. Leaders probe and push with a curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure their questions are answered with action.

* Look like the dumbest person in the room - MRI with wider bore - Hitachi beat GE to it

7. Leaders inspire risk taking and learning by setting the example.

* Humorous and lighthearted about mistakes help people understand mistakes aren't fatal

8. Leaders celebrate.

* Recognize teams achievements - makes people feel like winners and creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy

Best leaders care passionately about their people - about their growth and success. They themselves are comfortable in their own skin. They're real, filled with candor and integrity, optimism and humanity. Both born and made.

Chapter 6 Hiring - What Winners Are Made Of

Hiring good people is hard, hiring great people is brutal, yet nothing matters more in winning than getting the right people on the field!

Acid Tests

* Integrity- tells the truth and keeps their word, takes responsibility for past actions; How test for integrity: rely on reputation and reference checks; Does individual openly admit mistakes?

* Intelligence - strong dose of intellectual curiosity, breadth of knowledge to work with or lead other smart people; education is not the only piece

* Maturity - handle stress and setbacks; enjoy success with equal parts joy and humility; confident but not arrogant

4 E's and a P for Hiring

* Positive Energy - enthusiasm

* Energize Others -

* Edge - stop assessing and make a tough call - no wishy-washy or take a look in a month

* Execute - realized later how important execute was - get over the finish line - Person knows how to put decisions into action and push them forward to completion through resistance, chaos, or unexpected obstacles.

* Passion - heartfelt, deep, and authentic excitement about work - passionate about everything

Hiring for the Top

4 more highly developed characteristics that really matter

* Authenticity - self confident and has conviction

* Can see around corners- anticipate the radically unexpected

* Strong penchant to surround themselves with people better and smarter than themselves

* Heavy-duty resilience - learn from mistakes, regroup and go again

Hiring FAQs

6 frequently asked questions about hiring

* How do you actually interview somebody for a job?

o Don't rely on one meeting and interview with different people. Exaggerate the challenges. If candidate says, "yes, yes, yes" worry that they have few options if any. Be impressed if the candidate asks hard questions. Call around (not just listed references) and ask detailed questions.

* I just need to hire someone for technical expertise. Why do I bother with the 4 E's?

o Could be satisfied with energy and passion along with intelligence, great prior experience and integrity.

* What if someone is missing one or two of the E's? Can training fill in the gaps?

o Manager must have first 2 E's - Positive Energy & Energize Others - Edge and Execution can be developed

* Can a person get ahead in business without the 4 E's or passion?

o Yes .....haven't see too many who sustained success, especially leaders without

* I've always tried to hire people who can hit the ground running. What do you think