Rich Kao

A great book by the legendary CEO of General Electric, Jack Welsh.  It's basically 40 years of leadership lessons and wisdom distilled into one book.  With the help of Harvard Business Review Editor (and his wife) Suzy Welsh, Mr. Welsh gives us a book well written, well organized and easy to read.  Mr. Welsh excels at boiling things down to its essence and saying it in a strong, pithy, conversational way.   The theme that ties the book together is the title of the book -- Winning, and it's refreshing to find a book that actually supports what the title is about!  One can clearly see how Mr. Welsh's wisdom and thinking springs from a mindset of winning - not at any cost mind you - but with integrity, excellence and a drive to be number #1.  Striving to win really does clarify many things and helps to codify how one should approach or not approach things.

Of course, for those of us in ministry, not everything in the book applies - like chapters on Merger & Acquisitions, and Six Sigma - but many chapters do have a cross over benefit, like his thoughts on Mission & Values, Voice & Dignity, Leadership, Strategy.

Most interestingly, he ends the book with great questions asked of him since his retirement  -- like "Norway just passed a law mandating that half of every corporate board be comprised of women.  What is your opinion of that?"; "China is killing us, how do we compete (paraphrased)?";  "Do you plan to enter politics?"; and the granddaddy of them all "Do you think you you will go to heaven?"  (P.358 for the answer).  Although he doesn't give the right answer for himself, I sure appreciate Mr. Welsh's candor and openness in putting such a question in his book (and at the end mind you)!   Shows what made his career - a willingness to be open and honest and face the tough questions. 

If you want a fresh injection of leadership ideas, something to reinvigorate you, this book will definitely perk you up.