In Winning , their 2005 international bestseller, Jack and Suzy Welch created a rare document, both a philosophical treatise on fundamental business practices and a gritty how-to manual, all of it delivered with Jack's trademark candor and can-do optimism. It seemed as if "no other management book," in the words of legendary investor Warren E. Buffett, would "ever be needed." Instead, Winning uncovered an insatiable thirst to talk about work. Since the book's publication, the Welches have received literally thousands of questions from college students and seasoned professionals alike, on subjects ranging from leadership and global competition to tough bosses and building teamwork. Indeed, questions about virtually every business and career challenge have poured in—some familiar, others surprising, many urgent and probing, and all of them powerfully real. Winning: The Answers takes on the most relevant of these questions, and in doing so, its candid, hard-hitting responses expand and extend the conversation Jack and Suzy Welch began with Winning . It is a dialogue that is sure to be both compelling and immensely useful to anyone and everyone engaged in the vital work of helping an organization grow and thrive.
John Francis Welch Jr. was an American business executive, chemical engineer, and writer. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001. When Welch retired from GE, he received a severance payment of $417 million, the largest such payment in business history up to that point. In 2006, Welch's net worth was estimated at $720 million.
If you liked the original "Winning", you'll like this too. The same no fluff, straightforward approach to business topics. Good variation of questions, answers contain both familiar and new perspectives.
This book provides a wealth of wisdom and insights on leadership and management.
Here are a few key ideas from the book:
1. Straightforward Communication: Effective leaders communicate clearly and candidly with their teams. Being honest and transparent fosters trust and alignment within the organization.
2. Setting Clear Goals: Successful managers set specific, challenging, and achievable goals for their teams. Clear objectives help focus efforts and drive performance.
3. Empowering Employees: Great leaders empower their employees by trusting them to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
4. Creating a Winning Culture: Building a winning culture is crucial for organizational success. It involves fostering a competitive spirit, rewarding high performance, and promoting a sense of camaraderie among employees.
5. Differentiation and Accountability: Welch emphasizes the importance of differentiating between top performers and underperformers. High-performing employees should be rewarded, and underperforms need to be held accountable.
6. Continuous Learning: Leaders should be committed to continuous learning and encourage their teams to develop new skills and knowledge. Adapting to change is essential in a rapidly evolving business environment.
7. Candor and Constructive Conflict: Encouraging open and constructive discussions allows teams to address issues and find innovative solutions. Constructive conflict can lead to better decisions and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
8. Simplicity and Speed: Keeping processes simple and decision-making swift allows for agility and responsiveness in a dynamic business environment.
9. Customer Focus: Welch emphasizes the significance of prioritizing customers' needs and providing exceptional products and services.
10. Building a Diverse Team: Effective leaders recognize the value of diversity in teams and create an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed and respected.
The book, “Winning� was published back in 2005 and this sparked off a deluge of questions from college students, professionals, entrepreneurs and people from all walks of life on subjects ranging from leadership and globalization, to tough bosses and teamwork. This book: “Winning: The Answers � Confronting 74 of the toughest questions in business today� contains some of the most relevant of questions asked. As Jack Welch on his website emphasizes: Winning is great!
The 74 questions and answers are contained in six sections. Section 1, deals with ‘Global competition�; section 2 with ‘Leadership�; section 3 with ‘Management Principles and Practices�; section 4 with ‘Careers�; section 5 is titled ‘Privately held� and deals with working for the family; lastly section 6 covers ‘Winning and Losing�.
The courage to become a change agent� was my favourite read, in section 2. This was in response to a question raised by a newly appointed head of a learning and development department and he had to make some tough choices to usher in change. Jack and Suzy Welch point out to the three critical organisational components: an inspirational mission; a clear set of values and rigorous appraisal system. If it applied to a department catering to learning and development, it applies equally well to a service industry � to us. However, a word of caution, as also provided by the authors � Make sure your reasons for the change initiative are transparent to everyone, be it something as simple as a new process for drafting audit working papers or client conference notes. And finally, don’t lose faith along the way. Some people will resist change. They always do. But as soon as results start rolling in, your new approach will make its own case, loud and clear.
it is really interesting, especially for whom who are in business field. you will find answers for very important questions in today's global business world ( practical,smart and reality answers) hope u all like it "when u talk with Jack about management ,his energy and passion fill the room.You get a similar experience with this book-the same qualities jump at u from every page :)" one of th ecomments
Book contains very good brief answers for Frequently Asked Questions by many people (businessmen, students, analysts etc.,). This will be very much useful for MBA students since these are matching to present scenario than the academic book case discussions. Quite good. REcommend to everyone who pursues Business, Marketing, Finance etc., Also for first line of managers who are in with market.
sure, this book has tons of great tips and advice on how to manage working in companies of all types however it's not really a book that you read cover to cover.
it's more of a resource book that you reference from time to time. Reading it from cover to cover will certainly be a boring read
An excellent book covering a lot of diverse topics in business right from being a leader to career advice.Chapters are short and to the point. A very good read for working professionals