JACK WELCH

REVOLUTIONARY
BUSINESS GENERAL ELECTRIC

A beautiful day for golf. On a beautiful spring, there were no clouds in the sky at the Martha's Vineyard. Two men circling the room manicure (hand and nail care), under a sun shower while conversing. They looked so happy to be free from their offices, away from the exhausting routine.

Not just fresh air and sun which helps them forget about the anxiety, but also a satisfying victory against the other spouse golfer. They are the people who hate losing, in any case. At first glance, it seems that nothing extraordinary: two middle-aged man came out together. Which one is quite high with gray hair and a little fat, while the other is slightly shorter and looks a decade older. Maybe they were friends or colleagues, or perhaps a pair of playing hookey salesman after work. But for those who care, what they see something more than usual. Two muscular men dressed up with a strange, as he spoke quietly through a walkie talkie. They look weird on the green lawn, as the actor who played in the wrong film. But their presence is clearly mengindifikasikan that the game of golf is not just a regular game. Actually, it's highly influential duo on Earth. Men older is John Francis Welch Jr.., Chairman and CEO of General Electric. Whereas larger-bodied is William Jefferson Clinton, U.S. president-40.

Golf is a favorite sport Welch. In May 1995, Welch had heart surgery and speedy recovery. Now, he is a lot of missed opportunities which he obtained, often within a day just to play 36 holes. (In the spring of 1996, he pocketed 70 hole for the first time; with 69 holes he won his club championship at Sankaty Head on Nantucket Health Club.) Although Welch and Clinton have completed 18 holes, they agreed to play again. When relaxing, and when the full freedom of a time step for them. They are not ready to end moments like that. They hope the day does not end. They are playing opposite Ben Heineman, Jr.., Adviser to General Electric, and attorney Vernon Jordan, one of Clinton's closest friends. Glad to see Welch and the president work together very well, Heineman silently praised himself for having suggested to Jordan that both of them, who are both being belibur in Vineyard, playing golf together in one team. These four complete nine holes again. This time, Welch and Clinton lost, but the defeat did not reduce their happiness on this day. They are ready to continue the game, but Heineman had to catch the ferry, so they finally finish the game. Two days later the picture Wech and Clinton was relaxed and smiling with their golf clubs, appear in the New York Times.

Walch has many reasons to smile. He led the company's most valuable on earth, a business executive who most remarkable and admirable in the United States. It is true, the media pay more attention to Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Andy Groves (Intel), but Jack Welch does not matter who becomes a stage star. In fact, Welch is the chief executive of the most successful in America, he did not need validation from newspapers or magazines for what he achieved. Gates, Grove, and the company they may have been more brilliant, but Welch presided over a business that has few competitors in size and none of them are problematic. Welch did not admit it though, Welch is proud of the fact take every competitor jealous of General Electric. Even if Welch has a lot to be proud of, he's not the kind of person who likes to boast. Are there other people who have been so successful in the business world, would say as he says apda December 1977, "I am not quite satisfied with our current condition." No he realize that he has improved the performance of General Electric and turn it into a company's most dynamic in the U.S.? Is this just a form of humility? Absolutely not. What he meant is as follows: I can not be satisfied with what I get. If I am satisfied with what I have achieved, I die!

In early summer, General Electric tops the list of Top 100 companies in Business Week based on Market Value for the second time, with a market value of $ 198.08 billion. The list is not just a list of American companies, but companies across the dinia. The second rank was occupied by Coca-Cola ($ 169 billion), NTT of Japan ($ 151 billion), and Microsoft's Bill Gates ($ 148 billion). General Electric, which since 1993 was ranked first in terms of market value of the U.S., on December 31

1997 had a market value of $ 240milyar, $ 50 billion larger than the second-largest company, Royal Dutch / Shell. On March 1998, the market value of General Electric rose to $ 250 billion. After all, almost ranking General Electric topped the list of most profitable companies in the U.S.. The first-quarter profit in 1996 reached $ 1.67 billion, bigger than the game during the 1981 General Electric ($ 1.65 billion), the year when Welch took over General Electric. General Electric third quarter earnings were $ 2.01 billion, far greater than American companies, like Exxon ($ 1.82 billion) and Intel ($ 1.574 billion). 1996 was the year's best for General Electric. General Electric's earnings rose to $ 79.2 billion, 13 percent higher than last year's revenue. Profit in 1996 reached $ 7.28 billion, 11 percent higher than last year's earnings.  

Returning to work in September, Welch carefully monitor the new initiative, a company program designed to improve the quality of processes and products of General Electric and save billions of dollars. Welch is proud of the initiative, proud that 270 000 employees enthusiastically involved in the program, proud of the benefits of this program is much larger than he expected. He does not instill the concept of quality of the business, but if we listen to what he says, we will think that he had a concept of quality of the business. If Welch liked the idea, he would accept the idea as a religious leader spread his beliefs. Welch likes the idea, the idea would be his idea. In late October, Welch dinner at the White House, as an invited guest at the state dinner to welcome the Chinese president, Jiang Zemin. When looking at Welch's presence in the reception area, Welch introduced Bill Clinton as "my favorite golf teacher." Clinton and Welch likes the warm laughter. They both silently in memory of their golf event in August at the Vineyard. Invitation to the leadership of General Electrik president to attend the White House is not solely due to the social. Clinton's invitation is a great way to recognize the growing role of General Electric in China, and to introduce Welch as one of the most successful-and most powerful. (Survey of Time magazine in June 1996 chose Welch as the sixth most influential person in the U.S., and Clinton was ranked first).

On 19 November 1997, Welch reached the age of 62 years, and flatly stated that three more years he would quit the leadership of General Electric. How did it happen? How can a man who played golf with the president, who runs the most powerful companies in the world, and that looks very healthy now, going out of business in 2000. The answer lies in the General Electrik policy to stop the CEO at the time they reach age 65. However, every person who met with Jack Welch on this fall will draw the conclusion, just by looking at the way he walked and heard the tone of his voice, that the leadership of General Electrik's still very fresh, still far from the time to leave the business world. Even if Welch had undergone heart surgery two years ago, the spirit of General Electric CEO is still remarkable. Yes, the wrinkles on his face more and more, and some gray hair actually stated age. However, his field and muscular, with a 1.9 m height, he maih looks like it used to when I was a hockey player. If the life of Jack Welch made a movie, maybe people will choose Hoolywood actor Robert Duvall as a major player. Welch faces expressing a variety of character, warm face, and smile with delight when she heard what she likes, or an angry face with a sharp eye when there is someone who said things that silly (one of Welch's favorite phrase). Boyish face almost never appears; only occasionally, usually when Welch was very angry. Even if Welch has undergone heart surgery, he still spends his days working in the office, called his employees, visit the General Electric businesses around the world, sat down with financial analysts, members of the board of directors, and journalists (including pangarang this book). He was the last person in the headquarters of General Electric, Fairfield, Connecticut, the most talked for directing General Electric.

Great business leaders, according to Welch's conviction, must have great energy. More importantly, a great business leader should know how to use that energy to energize others. Like the football team coach, Welch moved from meeting to meeting, convey's a big including the many other messages, and some of the messages has become a trademark of Welch: Business is simple, Do not make the business is too complicated, Let's face it, Do not be afraid of change, Struggle against bureaucracy, Take advantage of your employees mind, Discover those who have the best idea, and apply these ideas