The Real-Life MBA

February 9, 2015
Business is the ultimate team sport, or so say the Welches, he the former chairman and CEO of General Electric, and she the former editor of Harvard Business Review. Together, they attempt to offer the “best learn-it-today, apply-it-tomorrow techniques,” though the result comes up short. They divide the book into three sections, addressing company operations and organization, team-building and leadership, and career management. Starting with a look at how companies should operate, they explain how to align “mission, behaviors, and consequences”; rebound from losses; and stimulate growth. They also explore ways to think about two potentially sticky areas—marketing and finance—and to deal with crises. The Welches’ leadership theory centers on the soft side of being in charge—namely, being truthful and building trust with subordinates. They also offer a career-assessment process called the Area of Destiny, in which you imagine your life as two superhighways, one for your passions and one for your skill set, and envision where these two highways intersect. It’s rather cheesy, very oversimplified, and, unfortunately, typical of the book as a whole. Though there are a few nuggets of wisdom here to extract, readers will have to dig deep for them, and may not find it worth the effort.