Saturday, March 29, 2008

Winning: Jack Welch


There are some books that you should read; and then there are some books that you must read."Winning", written by Jack Welch, definitely belongs to the second category.

The book is applicable to employees as well as employers. It discusses many aspects of work and lays down best practices. What impressed me about the book at first glace was the no-nonsense, no-holds approach and definite action-plans. After reading it, one feels charged up with a sense of purpose!
The book is divided into 5 sections, each containing 3 to 5 chapters.

  • First section is about the fundamentals: mission statement, values and importance of candid communication.
  • Second section discusses about people management, crisis management, and leadership.
  • Third section is about budget, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and something that has become a buzzword -- Six Sigma.
  • Fourth section is the one most important to majority of us, as it discusses about careers, and how to manage our work-life balance better.
  • In the last section, Jack answers some of the intriguing and interesting questions thrown at him during the various Q&A sessions he conducts all round the world.


Throughout the book, Jack draws on examples from his own extensive experience at GE as well as from case-studies in other corporations in US. A surprising aspect of the book is that although GE is mainly an industrial & services conglomerate, the scenarios discussed and their solutions are as much applicable to any business.

Jack Welch himself needs no introduction. As CEO, he led his company from revenue of $27 billion to $130 billion in 20 years; and along the way brought about many radical changes in the way business is managed.

I thank Tushar Joshi for not only recommending this book but also lending me his personal copy.