The Wisdom of Welch

Earlier this week, I woke up and heard the news story that Jack Welch had died at age 84.  Anyone involved in business, or anyone who is a student of corporate America, knew and respected Jack Welch.  He was, in many ways, an every day hero and fulfilled the American dream.  Jack Welch will be best remembered for the 20 years he served as the Chief Executive Officer for General Electric. 

 During his two decades at the helm, GE grew over four-thousand percent (4,000%).  We decided to present Mr. Welch’s growth numbers in writing and numerically to avoid the logical assumption that it was a typographical error.  That would be an impressive number for a small start-up company, but when you consider that Jack Welch began running GE in 1981, when it was already a huge multi-national corporation, this level of success is staggering. 

 Jack Welch was born into a modest family.  His father worked for the railroad and his mother was a homemaker.  Like many successful people, as a teenager, Jack Welch delivered newspapers, worked as a golf caddy, and performed a number of basic jobs.  He worked his way through college and eventually earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.  Jack Welch went to work for General Electric in 1960 and began his 21-year climb up the corporate ladder to the CEO executive suite.

 I got to meet Mr. Welch on several occasions and hear him speak.  Unfortunately, I can’t say that we were friends, but he influenced my personal and professional life through his words and through his example.  His teaching regarding approaching every situation, challenge, or meeting with the simple question, “What is the reality?” is both simple and profound.

 Too often, we begin solving problems or confronting challenges without fully understanding the reality of the situation.  Welch taught that most issues are fairly simple if you gather all the facts and drag them out into the light of day.  For those of you who were fans of Jack Welch, I want to offer some of his own words as a tribute to him.  For those of you who were not familiar with Jack Welch, I will let him speak for himself.  Following is a sample of his wisdom:

 “Change before you have to.”

 “Control your own destiny or someone else will.”

 “Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.”

 “If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.”

 “I've learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.”

 “Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do. Because then they will act.”

 I hope that Mr. Welch’s words will make you want to learn more about him, his life, and his success.

As you go through your day today, remember that success is following the leader.

 Today’s the day!