The late Jack Welch CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, probably isn’t the ideal model for 21st-century executives. However, three aspects of his leadership remain relevant today. First, get people decisions right. Welch was passionate about putting the right people in the right roles. Second, speak with candor. He always asked probing questions and delivered frank feedback. Third, be insatiably curious. Welch always had a hunger to learn. These are principles that can work for today’s managers as well as they did for him.
Jack Welch was heralded by many as the greatest leader of his era. As CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, he transformed it from a company known for appliances and lightbulbs to a multinational corporation that stretched into financial services and media as well as industrial products. He was initially criticized for cost-cutting and layoffs, which earned him the moniker “Neutron Jack,” but as GE’s revenues expanded and its share price soared in the ensuing years, he was lauded. In recent years, many have questioned his strategy, leadership style, and legacy. Was he too hard-nosed? Did his relentless push for growth, particularly at GE Capital, sow the seeds for the broader company’s later struggles? Was he really a CEO that others should emulate?
