Monthly Archives: December 2009

Jack Welch and the GE Way

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jack-welch-and-the-ge-wayJack Welch and the GE Way
by Robert Slater

Jack Welch, legendary maverick, discusses the traits that led Business Week to anoint him, “… the gold standard against which other CEOs are measured.”

To Jack Welch, change is natural and necessary, and Welch is the master of change. His innate skills and intuition have shaped the course and direction of international business—and his revolutionary strategies have made GE the benchmark for today’s global corporation.

Through Welch’s own words, along with those of dozens of GE insiders who work alongside him, Jack Welch and the GE Way presents a remarkable corporate success saga—and the extraordinary inside story of one of history’s most brilliant business icons.

Welch’s defining credo remains the same: “By reaching for the seemingly impossible, you often do the impossible.”

(This book review was originally published in 1999 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 1.)

The Power of Alignment

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the-power-of-alignmentThe Power of Alignment: How Great Companies Stay Centered and Accomplish Extraordinary Things
by George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky

Misaligned companies, like cars out of alignment, can develop serious problems if not corrected quickly. They are hard to steer and don’t respond well to changes in direction. This groundbreaking book shows you how to get—and keep—all the vital elements of your organization aligned and headed in the same direction at the same time.

Leaders must keep their people centered in the midst of change, de-emphasize hierarchy, and distribute leadership by distributing authority, information, knowledge, and customer data throughout their organization. Alignment is a response to the new business reality where customer requirements are in flux, where competitive forces are turbulent, and where the bond of loyalty between an organization and its people has been weakened. The old linear approach to management has given way to one of alignment. This book is packed with war stories and firsthand perspectives of industry leaders.

In essence, alignment links the five key elements of an organization—people, process, customers, business strategies, and, of course, leadership—to obtain breakthrough results, chief among them, sustained growth and profit, loyal customers, and a high-performing work force.

(This book review was originally published in 1999 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 1.)

Who Moved My Cheese?

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Who Moved My Cheese?Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
by Spencer Johnson, M.D.

Spencer Johnson is an internationally-known bestselling author who originated and co-authored The One-Minute Manager as well as The One-Minute $ales Person, One-Minute Mother, One-Minute Father, One-Minute Teacher and One Minute For Yourself.

Who Moved My Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths about change. It is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a “Maze” and look for “Cheese” to nourish them and make them happy.

“Cheese” is a metaphor for what you want to have in life—whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, a possession, health or spiritual peace of mind.

And the “Maze” is where you look for what you want—the organization you work in, or the family or community you live in. In the story, the characters are faced with unexpected change. Eventually, one of them deals with it successfully, and writes what he has learned from his experience on the maze walls. When you come to see “The Hand-writing On The Wall,” you can discover for yourself how to deal with change, so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life.

Written for all ages, the story takes less than an hour to read, but its unique insights can last for a lifetime!

(This book review was originally published in 1999 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 1.)

Guts

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Guts: The Seven Laws of Business That Made Chrysler the World's Hottest Car CompanyGuts: The Seven Laws of Business That Made Chrysler the World’s Hottest Car Company
by Robert A. Lutz

Robert Lutz recently retired as vice chairman of Chrysler Corp. He has held senior management positions in four of the world’s top car companies: Ford, General Motors, BMW, and Chrysler. What else would you expect from a vegetarian who loves a good cigar, a high-achiever who didn’t graduate from high school until he was 22, a former Marine fighter pilot whose “Law Of Life” is a line from a Rolling Stones song?

In this intriguing approach to leadership, Lutz explains how and why every organization must cultivate a “split personality” combining common sense with freewheeling creativity. It defines the leader’s role in maintaining a healthy balance between the two. And it argues that a dynamic tension between them is the prime attribute that enables top-performing companies to introduce new products and achieve record profits.

(This book review was originally published in 1999 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 1.)

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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TheThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
by John C. Maxwell

What would happen if a top expert with more than 30 years of leadership experience were willing to distill everything he had learned about leadership into a handful of life-changing principles just for you? It could change your life. John C. Maxwell has done exactly that in this profound, revealing study. He has combined insights from years of leadership successes and mistakes with observations from the worlds of business, politics, sports, religion, and military conflict.

This book is a powerful, definitive statement of the timeless laws you simply must follow if you want to be a great leader—at home, on the job, in church, or wherever you are called on to lead.

If you are new to leadership, this book will jump-start your leadership career. If you are an experienced leader with blue-chip credentials, this book will make you an even better leader.

(This book review was originally published in 1999 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 1.)