29 Leadership Secrets From Jack Welch

September 30, 2002
Here's a quick read on the leadership principles of the former GE CEO who's often considered one of the 20th century's greatest business leaders. Though his reputation has been somewhat tarnished by his opulent retirement package as well as a messy divorce, his "GE Way" of management is still highly regarded. Slater, a long-time Welch watcher, offers an abridged version of his 2001 Welch tome, Get Better or Get Beaten. This version is perfect for airport reading, though it delivers little of the struggles and setbacks that must have helped form the backbone of Welch's wisdom. Instead we get the platitudes, presented in 29 highly formatted and easy-to-grab chapters. All the instruction is self-evident, told in tiny anecdotes, and followed by a set of "Welch Rules" ("Get the most out of your employees"; "Promote the three 'S's' speed, simplicity, and self-confidence"). There's food for thought here, but not very much of it. This volume's selling point-its brevity-is also its downfall: it feels too much like leadership lite.

November 1, 2002
Here's a quick read on the leadership principles of the former GE CEO who's often considered one of the 20th century's greatest business leaders. Though his reputation has been somewhat tarnished by his opulent retirement package as well as a messy divorce, his "GE Way" of management is still highly regarded. Slater, a long-time Welch watcher, offers an abridged version of his 2001 Welch tome, Get Better or Get Beaten. This version is perfect for airport reading, though it delivers little of the struggles and setbacks that must have helped form the backbone of Welch's wisdom. Instead we get the platitudes, presented in 29 highly formatted and easy-to-grab chapters. All the instruction is self-evident, told in tiny anecdotes, and followed by a set of "Welch Rules" ("Get the most out of your employees"; "Promote the three 'S's' speed, simplicity, and self-confidence"). There's food for thought here, but not very much of it. This volume's selling point-its brevity-is also its downfall: it feels too much like leadership lite.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.