Winning: The Ultimate Business How-To Book

I found this quite an interesting book to read because of its honesty. Jacks methodology is really survival of the fittest. Whether morally it is a good thing or not is questionable but its necessary in business in order to survive.The book is very readable compared to other business books.Its written in very conversationable style.He is often very blaise about people who got fired or moved on.It always seems to be the best thing that happened to them. They always found their niche somewhere else.In reality I think that is not often the case. Getting fired is not always easy to recover from and the financial strain it brings can destroy relationships and homes. But this is not the concern of the CEO . His focus is the shareholder and maintaining the stock value.Here the book is very clear. There is no room for sentimentality. No room for loyalty, nostalgia or tradition. If its not working shut it down or sell it. If someone is not performing and is in the bottom 10% don't waste your time in trying them to work better or harder, just get rid of them.I don't think I would be cut out to be a CEO but its good to get an insight of a successful one. He is far more honest that most writers about similar business issues.If you really want to be a successful CEO this book provides guidance in the type of character you need to be.It may not get you to heaven but it will keep you in the Fortune 500.

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 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 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 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!

When I studied Business at university, I read many academic books that advocate complicated theoretical models and theories but have limited practical applicability. This book is the opposite. It is hands-on advice from someone who used to be one of the best CEOs in the world. It is immediately applicable in everyday business life. The title is perhaps a bit cringe-worthy but that's easy to get over.I thought his other book 'Straight from the gut' is even more impressive.

I would have liked to rate this book higher, but I felt that it was aimed specifically at middle managers. There were some shockingly truthful chapters, particularly about firing people, which I admired the author for including. However, I am not in that position in career at the moment, and hoped it would help and inspire me to grow for the immediate future. There were some good points raised, and hopefully I will remember them in 20 years time, but a lot of it was slightly irrelevant to me.All in all though, a good read. I will seek out more books by Jack Welch.

This is a really good book that illustrates just how you could make a difference in the business world or any other should you decide to take a leaf out of a this world renowned leaders book! This book looks at the decisions taken and relationships Jack Welch created during his career that made him so successful, he provides great examples and lesson to be learnt from his wealth of knowledge! A must read.