The Best Analysis of Jack Welch's GE, Now Freshly Revised
A business classic -- now completely revised -- hailed as the unofficial GELeadership handbook.
Completely revised, with two new chapters by the authors, an added chapter-length interview with Jack Welch, plus the complete set of Welch's GE annual letters to shareholders, this title remains the classic CASE STUDY of how Welch transformed GE from a corporate dinosaur into one of the nimblest, most successful corporations in the world, and provides a useful handbook for effecting change in your business and your life.
Since Welch became its CEO in 1981, GE has become one of the most successful companies of the late 20th century, increasing its market value from $13 billion to over $400 billion. Welch has been hailed by "60 Minutes" as the best executive in the world. This success can be attributed in large part to Jack Welch, GE's dynamic CEO who transformed the company from a bureaucratic behemoth into a fierce competitor in the global marketplace.
Among the many books that have been written about GE, Control Your Destiny stands out. Its authors are uniquely qualified to explain Welch's transformation of GE and to explain the leadership lessons it reveals. Noel Tichy ran GE's Crotonville school during the start of the Welch era, while Stratford Sherman covered GE for Fortune magazine. Together, they study GE with a remarkable blend of inside knowledge and clear-eyed objectivity. Their narrative -- studied at business schools nationwide -- is extraordinarily thorough, thoughtful, and rich in insight.
From Library Journal
Jack Welch is undoubtedly one of the most talked about chief executives in America. Three months apart, two books have appeared about Welch and his mandate to restructure GE in the 1980s. Unlike Robert Slater's The New GE: How Jack Welch Revived an American Institution ( LJ 10/1/92), authors Tichy, a professor and GE consultant, and Sherman, a Fortune reporter, offer a deeper analysis of Welch's leadership practices and philosophies. The authors use the first person singular to signify an insider's (Tichy's) view, which is confusing at first. Furthermore, the addition of the "Handbook for Revolutionaries" (material developed at GE's executive education center in Crotonville, New York) makes Tichy appear to be a Welch convert, and the bias is sometimes too obvious. The repetition of ideas makes reading laborious. However, the authors do a substantial job in presenting the research, which included over 100 hours of interviews with Welch. Recommended for all business libraries.
- Rebecca A. Smith, Harvard Business Sch. Lib.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Fascinating reading. There is at least as much to be learned here as from reading Peter Drucker, John Kenneth Galbraith, or Michael Porter." -- -- Boston Globe
"IBM. GM. Blow after blow is absorbed by America's recent bellwether firms. At times, only GE seems to be counterpunching--and attacking. Control Your Destiny is an exciting rendition of the Welch revolution. Read it carefully." -- -- Tom Peters, author of Liberation Management
"The first scholarly attempt to pin down the secrets of GE's success. A helpful, clear account...with interesting case studies." -- -- Financial Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From the Publisher
Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, has just one goal: to be #1 in EVERY market. Now, his closest adviser shows how his strategy has increased the value of GE's stock fivefold in just over a decade. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Noel M. Tichy, the bestselling author of The Leadership Engine and Control Your Destiny, is a professor at the University of Michigan Business School, the director of the school's Global Leadership Partnership, and a worldwide adviser to CEOs on leadership and transformation. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.