Winning Low Price CD Audio CD – Unabridged, March 13, 2012

I have just finished reading Winning by Jack Welch. This book summarizes the key learnings of one of the greatest CEOs of all time in Jack Welch. As the book title indicates, it is about winning in the corporate world and getting ahead. It is divided into four main parts: the first called "Underneath it All" in which the foundational elements of a successful company are laid out - mission and values, candor, differentiation, and voice and dignity. The second, "Your Company" discusses the mechanics of an organization - leadership, hiring, people management, parting ways, change and crisis management. The third part of this book is "Your Competition", with topics discussed such as strategy, budgeting, organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, and Six Sigma. Finally the last section of the book "your career" focused on one professional life with topics such as - the right job, getting promoted, hard spots, work-life balance.What makes this book unique is the breadth of topics discussed. It really serves as a primer for anyone looking to navigate his way through the corporate world. While it is hard to summarize the many learnings contained within this book, below are some excerpts which I found particularly profound:-"When you are an individual contributor, you try to have all the answers. That's your job...When you are a leader, your job is to have all the questions."-On Change " 1- Attach very change initiative to a clear purpose or goal. Change for change's sake is stupid and enervating. 2- Hire and promote only true believers and get-on-with-it types. 3- Ferret out and get rid of resisters, even if their performance is satisfactory. 4- Look at car wrecks."-" The 4-E (And 1-P) Framework - The first E is positive energy. -The second E is the ability to energize others. - The third E is edge, the courage to make tough yes-or-no decisions. - Which leads us to the fourth E - execute - the ability to get the job done. - If a candidate has the four Es, then you look for that final P - passion.Given the scope of the book, one can't expect that it covers each of the topics in depth. What it does though, is server as an eye openers on areas/aspects of one's career that were perhaps missed/over-looked.If you had to read one book this year, I would recommend Winning!

I read this book after I finished How Google Works. My brother-in-law recommended this book to me after I talked so much about How Google Works. We both said we will reach each other’s recommendation. I kept my words I am not sure if he kept his. Anyways, this book was quite a contrast to How Google Works. One was a technological giant that pioneered information industry while the other flourished by making things that were physical. Both companies can be bear the tag ‘Too Big to Fail’ but what they do and how they do what they do is poles apart. Jack Welch led GE to unprecedented growth. Welch is regarded as one of the most successful CEOs of one of the most successful brands - GE. The way Jack describes management is very simple – everyone can thrive in a conducive environment but who can manage crisis distinguishes him/her from the rest of the crowd. He talks about 70-20-10 rule and if you look around your organization you will realize how true it is. I take his 70-20-10 rule as this – 70% come to work because they have to, 20% come to work because they love to and 10% come to work because they have nowhere else to go. Every weekday when you get up and get ready to go to work and if you do not feel excited about the day I suggest you quit your job and find something that will excite you in the morning and keep you excited till the day ends.

Do you have the courage to "call it like it is"? So many businesses, and managers struggle with this concept. Often, it seems so much easier to simply gloss over the real issue, managers want to be "liked", have friends and staff that look up to them as leaders they like and that means often not saying what needs to be said, or doing what is difficult. Jack Welch gives it to the reader "like it is", and implores managers to use candor to get the change required to move businesses forward.Jack doesn't just push managers to use fear to motivate though, in fact, he rightfully points out the concept of 20/70/10. Every business will have 20% at the top, 70% in the middle and 10% at the bottom. GREAT leaders work with the middle 70%, get under their skin and motivate them to love the challenge of coming to work everyday, exhausting their positive output to push staff to be their BEST everyday, and to love doing it. But the bottom 10%, those who would rather text-message and surf the internet than actually work? What to do with them? If you have a candid organization, where dealing with true issues dominates the conversations, these bottom feeders know JUST WHERE THEY STAND, and they either get their act together, or the manager does them a favor by letting them go. It's not mean it's not nice, it's about winning, If you want to out-perform, you need the best players. Such a simple, hardened truth so many manager lose track of - yet Jack reminds us it is the core of performance.I highly recommend this book for all managers and leaders.

I have read this book before and it's a self-aggrandising conversational sermon from Jack Welch about various business-related topics. It's not a University-level textbook, obviously, so don't expect it to be one.There's a plethora of these ghostwritten celebrity-politician-or-business-man-talks-about-stuff books. Of all of these types of books that relate to business advice, this is one of the better ones. He discusses concrete concepts and gives clear positions, and there's a minimum of waffle. It gets you thinking. It's worth a read.

I rarely give negative reviews, but you should keep away from this book - not because of its contents, but because of the print. This one is unreadable. It's only good for starting a fire.I ordered another copy of the book with hardcovers and hopefully bigger dimensions and better font.I would advice the publishers to increase the price with 2-3 dollars, but produce a normal book.

I have purchased a significant number of copies this book as it is 'set reading' I provide for most of my high end one:one clients. I came across the book shortly after it was originally released and was struck by the directness and 'edgy' style of the man who achieved so much for the giant GEC. Whilst there are areas which do not travel across the Atlantic too well, the way it challenges is brilliant.As it is written by a practitioner, rather than an academic, it is right from the core of how to get results and ensure the economic security for a business. Ultimately securing employment for the people who work there, and other stakeholder in wider parts of the economy. There is much that seems tough, if you read the book completely though you realise that the objective of Welch was to provide the opportunity for people to succeed. And if they could not succeed in GEC to help them find their place elsewhere. Direct and truthful - and more copies will no doubt be purchased for future clients.

I learned a lot from this book. It is mostly sharp and to the point and devoid of sentimentality or waffle. You might not like all that he has to say but he is always clear in what he says. In particular I liked his idea on the importance of candour - honest communication in the workplace and the importance of avoiding superficial congeniality.I am not certain how successful his policies of "rank and yank" were (getting rid of the lowest performing 10% of the workforce. In many workplaces this might lead to risk aversion and lots of office politics.He often talks of "trusting your gut" and relying on your instincts but this can often lead to problems. He has an amazing amount of experience and knowledge and a history of success most of the rest of us don't and there have been numerous studies done of the problems of relying too much on intuition.He writes Unflinchingly and without self-praise on the work-life balance and makes the very good point that you always have to see things from the point of view of your employers.This is a very useful book as long as you remember that you probably aren't a Jack Welsh.

I heard about this book many years ago but the thought of reading it never appealed to me. I suppose the time was not right and it is only recently that it resonated with me and so I went ahead and bought it. Jack Welch's direct and matter-of-fact style of writing is refreshing although I can also imagine that it is likely to trigger strong for/against reactions on many readers. The chapters on differentiation and work-life balance are particularly hard hitting and direct and I would recommend every manager or would be leader to read it. Well worth it!