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Jack: Straight from the Gut Kindle Edition
Nearly 20 years ago, former General Electric CEO Reg Jones walked into Jack Welch's office and wrapped him in a bear hug. "Congratulations, Mr. Chairman," said Reg. It was a defining moment for American business. So begins the story of a self-made man and a self-described rebel who thrived in one of the most volatile and economically robust eras in U.S. history, while managing to maintain a unique leadership style. In what is the most anticipated book on business management for our time, Jack Welch surveys the landscape of his career running one of the world's largest and most successful corporations.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBusiness Plus
- Publication dateOctober 2, 2018
- Reading age18 years and up
- File size10.4 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
Jack is the Tiger Woods of management. All CEOs want to emulate him. They won't be able to, but they'll come closer if they listen carefully to what he has to say."
Warren Buffett, chairman, Berkshire Hathaway
"An American treasure, Jack Welch teaches us how a leader with keen intellect, guts, and honor can impart courage to people around him, weather unexpected storms, inspire performance, and take an organization to greater and greater heights. His formula challenges all of us and any institution striving for excellence."
Bernadine Healy, M.D., president and CEO, American Red Cross
"Jack Welch gave team leadership new meaning as he took an industrial giant and turned it into an industrial colossus with a heart and a soul and a brain."
Michael D. Eisner, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
"Jack Welch, the brilliant business magician, has finally disclosed his mysteries of management. Now we must accept the generosity of his challenge and try to match or exceed him."
Nobuyuki Idei, chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation
"Jack's vision and courage, his ability to prevail, his art of motivation and, of course, his success, make him the role model of entrepreneurs and managers worldwide."
Dr. Thomas Middelhoff, chairman of the board, Bertelsmann AG
About the Author
From AudioFile
Product details
- ASIN : B001GUXJQK
- Publisher : Business Plus; 1st edition (October 2, 2018)
- Publication date : October 2, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 10.4 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 623 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #182,901 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Jack Welch is the author of Winning, a #1 Wall Street Journal and international bestseller. In 2001, he wrote his #1 New York Times and also international best-selling autobiography, Jack: Straight from the Gut.
Jack recently launched the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University, a unique online MBA and certificate program aimed at giving students globally and at every career level the tools to transform their lives and the organizations of the future.
Jack is the head of Jack Welch, LLC, where he serves as Senior Advisor with the private equity firm, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and is an advisor to IAC (Interactive Corp). He speaks to business audiences and students around the world.
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Jack received his undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and an MS and PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois. He began his career with the General Electric Company in 1960, and in 1981 became the Company's 8th Chairman and CEO. During his 20+ year tenure as CEO, the Company's market capitalization rose from $13 billion to over $400 billion. In 2000, he was named "Manager of the Century" by Fortune magazine.
For more information, visit: http://www.jwmi.com
John A. Byrne is chairman and editor-in-chief of C-Change Media Inc., a digital media startup that is launching a network of websites for the global business community. C-Change currently has two highly successful sites, Poets&Quants.com and Poets&QuantsforExecs.com. Little more than two years old, P&Q generates more than one million monthly page views and boasts a book imprint division which published its first title in 2012. Byrne is also the author of "World Changers: 25 Entrepreneurs Who Changed Business As We Knew It," his first book in ten years since the publication of his collaboration with General Electric Chairman Jack Welch. That book, "Straight from the Gut," was a New York Times bestseller for 26 consecutive weeks.
Byrne's collaboration with Mort Mandel, a self-made billionaire and highly successful entrepreneur in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, will be published in December of 2012 by Jossey-Bass as part of its Warren Bennis leadership series. The book is entitled "It's All About Who You Hire, How They Lead...and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader."
Until Nov. of 2009, Byrne had been executive editor and editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek.com. He led BusinessWeek.com to record levels of reader engagement and traffic, oversaw the redesign of the site, and launched extensive new areas of coverage on management and lifestyle. Mr. Byrne initiated the site's twice-daily executive news summary, weekly interactive case studies, multi-media classroom videos, as well as new blogs and podcasts. He helped to develop and launch a major Web 2.0 initiative called the Business Exchange, an innovative product utilizing social media and news aggregation.
Under his leadership, BusinessWeek.com won two consecutive National Magazine Awards, the most prestigious recognition in magazine publishing, an EPpy for Best Business Website with over one million unique visitors (over The Wall Street Journal), and second place honors as the Best Website of the Year for news and business by the Magazine Publishers Association. In 2008 alone, BW.com captured an unprecedented 21 awards and nominations for journalism excellence. His weekly podcast on Business Week's cover story has been downloaded nearly 10 million times. Mr. Byrne's views on the future of journalism have made him a popular speaker and essayist. In the past two years, he has spoken at more than a dozen conferences, has been frequently interviewed about the new world of journalism, and has been published by Harvard University's Nieman Reports, The Christian Science Monitor, and MediaWeek magazine.
Prior to role at BusinessWeek.com, he was the executive editor for the print publication since 2005, during which he began three new annual franchises, including the highly successful Customer Service Champions and the Best Places to Launch a Career, and recruited to the magazine such popular weekly columnists as Jack and Suzy Welch, Maria Bartiromo, and renown wine critic Robert Parker.
Previously, Mr. Byrne was editor-in-chief of Fast Company magazine. He joined Fast Company in April 2003, succeeding founding editors Alan Webber and Bill Taylor, where he worked to reinvent the business magazine. Under his leadership, Fast Company won many coveted journalism awards, including its first Gerald Loeb award, the highest honor in business journalism. Mr. Byrne also made Fast Company the first business brand to launch an online blog and created, through a partnership with Monitor Group, an annual award competition for social entrepreneurs. More importantly, Mr. Byrne found and cultivated a buyer for the magazine, resulting in a $35 million purchase that saved the publication from an almost certain closure.
Before joining Fast Company, he worked for BusinessWeek for nearly 18 years, most recently holding the position of Senior Writer and authoring a record 57 cover stories for the magazine. His articles have explored the fairness of executive pay, the folly of management fads, and the governance of major corporations. Mr. Byrne's magazine writing has won numerous awards and has been republished in collections of the best writing on business. He was named a National Magazine Award finalist as well as a Gerald Loeb award finalist twice. Among his more widely recognized cover stories are "Philip Morris: Inside America's Most Reviled Company," a provocative exploration of the men who ran the largest tobacco corporation in the world, "The Fall of a Dot-Com," an investigative story on how big-name investors, blinded by Net fever, poured millions into a dot-com that fell into bankruptcy, "Joe Berardino's Fall from Grace," a narrative of how Arthur Andersen's CEO presided over the demise of his legendary firm, "The Man Who Invented Management," a reflective essay on why management guru Peter Drucker's ideas still matter, and "Are CEOs Paid Too Much?," an early examination (1992) of why executive compensation was out-of-control.
Mr. Byrne developed the idea of a monthly best-sellers list, launched the industry-leading business school rankings, established and managed the magazine's ranking of the best and worst corporate boards, and created its annual list of the most generous philanthropists. He also built out the business education franchise online in the mid-1990s, setting the stage for a highly regarded online community and one that has reaped tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue for BusinessWeek. He has been a frequent commentator on television, having appeared on CNN's Moneyline and CNBC's Squawk Box and Business Center.
Mr. Byrne is the author or co-author of more than ten books on business, leadership, and management, including two national bestsellers. World Changers, to be published by Penguin Books' Portfolio imprint, is his first book in ten years. His previous book, published Sept. 11, 2001 by Warner Books, was Jack: Straight from the Gut, the highly anticipated collaboration with former General Electric Co. CEO Jack Welch. The book debuted at the very top of The New York Times bestseller list and remained on the list for 26 consecutive weeks. Mr. Byrne has written or co-authored seven other books, including Chainsaw (HarperCollins, 1999), the behind-the-scenes story of Al Dunlap's rise and fall as a business celebrity. The book received widespread acclaim. Publishers Weekly called the book a "blistering saga" and a "sizzling tale." The Street.com said Chainsaw "should be required reading in all business and accounting schools."
Mr. Byrne's other books include: Informed Consent (McGraw-Hill, 1995); The Headhunters (MacMillan, 1986); Odyssey (Harper & Row, 1987), the business biography of former Apple Computer chairman John Sculley; and The Whiz Kids (Currency/Doubleday, 1993), which explored the life and times of ten Army Air Force officers who helped to remake the Ford Motor Co. in the post-war period. Managment guru Tom Peters called The Whiz Kids "an important milestone in American management analysis. Warren Bennis has said the book is "the best history of American business from World War II to the present." Mr. Byrne also wrote BusinessWeek's Guide to the Best Business Schools (McGraw-Hill, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1997) and co-wrote BusinessWeek's Guide to the Best Executive Education Programs (McGraw-Hill, 1992).
As part of a new book imprint division at Poets&Quants, Byrne also is the co-author of "Handicapping Your MBA Odds: Profiles of 101 Applicants & Their Odds of Getting Into a Top Business School." The book was published in the summer of 2012.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the useful insights into business leadership and making tough decisions. The content is described as enlightening and inspiring, with lively situations around acquisitions and mergers. Readers mention that the book helps them become better managers by teaching them about performance. The narrator is described as relatable and the narrative is easy to follow.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and a pleasure to read. They say it's an excellent business book and the best they've ever read.
"...This has been one of the most engaging books on the subject matter, taking a relatively benign subject..." Read more
"This is Probably the best business book that I’ve ever read and I’ve read a lot of them. I would make this mandatory reading for any manager and CEO." Read more
"...As an autobiography, Jack Straight from the Gut, is a pleasure to read...." Read more
"...actually not as negative as I expected and at times I even enjoyed reading the book...." Read more
Customers find the book's insights useful and educational. They appreciate the details and mention it's a great biography for young engineers. The book offers valuable insights into GE history and leadership from Jack Welch.
"This book blurs the line between an autobiography, a corporate history book, and a management instructional; and it does it well...." Read more
"...This book is about Jack Welch and his amazing story up the ladder of corporate America. It teaches us about guts, hard work and true dedication...." Read more
"...The book is a biography from Jack Welch and thus follows the standard chronological form...." Read more
"Great insights into GE history and Welchs leadership. Highly recommend." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's leadership insights. They say it makes them better managers, with great wisdom about business leadership and making tough decisions. The book provides interesting stories and business knowledge, and is described as pragmatic and inspirational. Readers also mention that the author has a passion for excellence and brings out the best in people.
"...DO THE RIGHT THING: even when you have to put your job at risk...." Read more
"...It teaches us about guts, hard work and true dedication. It actually reads like 'Once upon a time in America' featuring Robert de Niro...." Read more
"...The relentless focus on good people and educating them (unfortunately, mostly managers)...." Read more
"...I would have liked to work with Welch, he appears to have been a superb manager...." Read more
Customers find the book's content interesting and inspiring. They say it teaches about hard work, dedication, and integrity. Readers also mention it's an interesting window into another world.
"...one of the most engaging books on the subject matter, taking a relatively benign subject..." Read more
"...Welch's A-type, straight talking personality comes through, with the help of co-author John A. Byrne, in a natural, down-to-earth writing style...." Read more
"...It teaches us about guts, hard work and true dedication. It actually reads like 'Once upon a time in America' featuring Robert de Niro...." Read more
"...Just as importantly it walks through many lively situations around acquisitions, mergers, personell issues, and so forth, whose drama keep you..." Read more
Customers find the book instructive and effective in addressing performance head-on. They appreciate its integrity, openness, and helpful approach.
"...a corporate history book, and a management instructional; and it does it well...." Read more
"...insights into business leadership, making tough decisions, and driving results while focusing on corporate values like integrity...." Read more
"...very clearly an objective person who while firm is fair and helpful to those who perform...." Read more
"...equally to running a small business- having good people, addressing performance head on, demonstrating integrity, being open to change,..." Read more
Customers appreciate the relatable narrator and easy-to-read narrative. They find the book provides an excellent description of Jack's career at GE.
"...I liked the fact that Jack narrated the book also...." Read more
"Good book for organizational leadership! Jack is very relatable and as a student felt that I learned much from his book." Read more
"Although overall an excellent description of Jack's career at GE, the story slightly lacks objectivity by presenting mostly Jack's victories, but..." Read more
"Great book. Jack has great insights" Read more
Reviews with images
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Proud Papa Darwin
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2013This book blurs the line between an autobiography, a corporate history book, and a management instructional; and it does it well. This has been one of the most engaging books on the subject matter, taking a relatively benign subject (how a hard working nobody become a CEO and superstar of an appliance and technology company), and makes it personable.
The language isn't formal, academic, or even moderated. If you're offended by the occasional use of foul language, you'll be offended on a few occasions, Jack tells it how it is. He recounts his climb through the ranks of General Electric, and how he managed to create the vision that led to GE's success.
The book is an autobiography, and there's not a lot of dissenting view points. While Jack does mention that some of his decisions were unpopular, and how some of his actions were flops, the analysis of why these ventures failed are always introspective. That doesn't allow for a complete picture of GE's history during Jack's tenure with the company, but for those of us who aren't working for (or competing against) them, it suffices.
More importantly, it's enjoyable. There are a few nuggets of wisdom (giving 'stretch' promotions at the beginning of a career, the No 1 / No 2 philosophy, encourage big swings and never punish a big miss) contained within the book, but it's not a management philosophy text book.
You aren't likely to find any profound quotes or revalations contained in these pages; and if you can manage that expectation, then this book is a fantastic read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024This is Probably the best business book that I’ve ever read and I’ve read a lot of them. I would make this mandatory reading for any manager and CEO.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2008Jack Welch's life has been about excellence, winning....and having fun. His autobiography, "Jack: Straight From the Gut", tells how he rose from small town roots to become CEO of General Electric, arguably the greatest corporation in America and the world at the end of the 20th Century. During his life's journey, Welch accomplished more than most ever dream of. He earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering by the age of 25. During his 20 year tenure as head of GE, company revenues soared from $27 billion in 1981 to $130 billion in 2001. GE's annual growth rate averaged 18.9 percent during this period, and its stock rose a staggering 3,098 percent.
Without any formal management training, Welch worked his way up from "process development specialist" in 1960 to CEO of GE in 1981. His management secret? Welch attributes his success in life and business to living the lessons his mother drilled into him during his youth. She taught him early that he had better face the facts of any tough situation if he was to succeed: "Don't kid yourself. It is the way it is." she would tell him repeatedly. "Grace Welch taught me the value of competition, just as she taught me the pleasure of winning and the need to take defeat in stride,"... "If I have any leadership style, a way of getting the best out of people, I owe it to her," Welch writes.
And getting the best out of people, himself included, is what Jack Welch did best. He was such a great manager largely because he focused on bringing out the best in his employees, making GE into a "people factory". He knew that a business cannot afford to be soft-hearted when it comes to grading and rewarding, or punishing, employees based upon their performance. He knew that the value of a business is primarily the talents, skills, and knowledge of its people. Under Jack Welch, GE changed from bureaucracy to meritocracy - focused on grading its people, rewarding the best, encouraging the middle, and getting rid of the rest. As he writes: "Performance management has been part of everyone's life from the first grade. It starts in grade school with advanced placement. Differentiation applies to football teams, cheerleading squads, and honor societies....There's differentiation for all of us in our first 20 years. Why should it stop in the workplace, where most of our waking hours are spent?"
Welch characterized the traits that made him successful and that he sought in others as "The Four E's": 1. Energy of personality, 2. the Enthusiasm to communicate that energy to others, 3. the Edge to make tough decisions, and 4. the Execution to see those decisions implemented. The Four E's were connected by the "Big P: Passion". Welch's integrity to this vision of employee excellence is seen repeatedly in the book when he promotes unrecognized and unrewarded employees because he saw the four E's and big P in them, where others did not. Most of these individuals went on to become successful upper managers at GE and even CEO's of other large corporations.
Whether being blasted in the media as "Neutron Jack" for laying off thousands of employees while building a state-of-the-art management training center, or executing the buyout of other companies, such as RCA with its NBC network, or implementing a system to share best practices among GE companies world-wide (a concept he termed "boundaryless"), Welch dove into each project with seemingly inexhaustible passion and zeal. He brought the same dedication to implementing each company-wide program he initiated: Globalization, Growing Services, Six Sigma, and E-business. Welch loves what he created at GE. The company definitely became his baby - and he was the heart and soul of GE during his time as CEO.
As an autobiography, Jack Straight from the Gut, is a pleasure to read. Welch's A-type, straight talking personality comes through, with the help of co-author John A. Byrne, in a natural, down-to-earth writing style. Jack Welch's rise from small town Irish immigrant roots to chairman of General Electric is one of the most engaging and inspiring business tales you will ever read. Welch is a late Twentieth Century version of Andrew Carnegie: rising to fame and fortune from a humble background. His life is a confirmation of the American virtues of free enterprise system, with its focus on the values of hard work, integrity, ambition and excellence. Jack Welch is a real life Ayn Rand business hero. Like Howard Roark or John Galt, he struggled across his career, and despite numerous set-backs, he ultimately rose up to create a life of great achievements. Welch sought excellence in himself and those around him. As a result, he drove GE, its thousands of employees, and the American economy to unprecedented levels of productivity and prosperity.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2003Just a few notes from "Jack straight from the Gut" book which is primarily focused on Jack Welch's 30 years with General Electric.
PhD IN CHEMISTRY: earned this from University of Illinois before starting his career in business which ended up being primarily focused on working for and managing General Electric.
This allowed him to really understand many of GE's products when needed during his 41 year tenure.
DO THE RIGHT THING: even when you have to put your job at risk. Doesn't make sense to do the wrong thing just so as to not "rock the boat"
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE WORKFORCE; one way to do this is to fire the bottom 10% of employees on a yearly basis. This earned him the nickname of "Neutron Jack" even though he always tried these workers other positions within the
company and not with competitors.
QUINTUPLE HEART BYPASS: was performed just a few years ago after suffering angina pains for about 15 years.
AVID GOLFER: all of his life with a very low handicap.
EMBRACED QUALITY: throughout the company with a 6 Sigma program.
CONTINUALLY DEVELOP WORKERS to maintain productivity. Hired outside talent as needed.
MEASURE ALL BUSINESS UNITS using ROI calculations in addition to revenue and profits.
BUY OR SELL BUSINESS UNITS: in order to grow a business or cut losses as needed
GE PURCHASES: over $50B worth of goods and services on a yearly basis
OVERHEAD EXPENSES: reduced by 30% or $10B by fully implementing
digital control of all processes including the use of the Internet.
EMPLOYMENT: over 300,000 workers worldwide.
MARRIED 3 TIMES: currently living in Boston with a young wife and her 4 children.
FUTURE PREDICTIONS: China represents the biggest competitor which will drive most non performing companies out of business.
Top reviews from other countries
- MartinReviewed in Mexico on July 6, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars Bad glue
MartinBad glue
Reviewed in Mexico on July 6, 2023
Images in this review
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BruneReviewed in France on July 29, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait
Envoi rapide et soigné.
- butterflyReviewed in Canada on January 2, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition of the book received
Very good condition for this book.
butterflyGood condition of the book received
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2021
Images in this review
- gokula krishnanReviewed in India on June 6, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Open hearted and Transparent look through Jack’s heart. Recommended by my Mentor and I believe will recommend the same to anyone in future asking for Biographies to be read.
Found a lot of similarities between him and me.
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Luís ColadelReviewed in Brazil on May 6, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Entregou aquilo que descreveu.
Ágil no login, na busca, no processo de compra e na entrega, bem como a relação entre a descrição anexa ao produto e o que foi entregue, integralmente cumprido.