Jack

Straight from the Gut

By: Jack Welch, John A. Byrne

Narrated by: Mike Barnicle

Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

As CEO of General Electric for the past 20 years, Jack Welch has built its market cap by more than $450 billion and established himself as the most admired business leader in the world. His championing of initiatives like Six Sigma quality, globalization, and e-business have helped define the modern corporation. At the same time, he is a gutsy boss who has forged a unique philosophy and an operating system that relies on a "boundary-less" sharing of ideas, an intense focus on people, and an informal, give-and-take style that makes bureaucracy the enemy.

In anecdotal detail and with self-effacing humor, Jack Welch gives us the people who shaped his life (most notably his Irish mother) and the big hits and the big misses that characterized his career. Starting at GE in 1960 as an engineer earning $10,500, Jack learned the need for "getting out of the pile" when his first raise was the same as everyone else's. He stayed out of the corporate bureaucracy while running a $2 billion collection of GE businesses - in a sweater and blue jeans - out of a Hilton in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

After avoiding GE's Fairfield, Connecticut headquarters for years, Jack was eventually summoned by then-Chairman Reg Jones, who was planning his succession. There ensued one of the most painful parts of his career - Jack's dark-horse struggle, filled with political tension, to make it to the CEO's chair. A hug from Reg confirmed Jack was the new boss - and started the GE transformation. The riveting story of his last year - the elaborate process of selecting a successor and the attempt to buy Honeywell - is also told in compelling detail.

This is classic Jack Welch: down to earth, powerful, and filled with common sense.

©2001 by Jack Welch (P)2001 by Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"As a self-portrait of one of America's most successful modern business leaders, Jack is remarkable for its candor." (Ther Economist)

Interesting autobiography of an extraordinary man

What did you love best about Jack?

I enjoyed learning about this remarkable man and how he went straight to the top.

Must Have for the Career Professional

This book is a must-have for the career professional. Not everyone is willing to make the all-out sacrifice to be CEO of a global organization, but there are plenty of take-aways for everyone who is building a career and a life.

Jack Welch has been a role-model for the way I think and behave since I first heard of differentiation. I actually resigned from a position when I realized that I was in the bottom 10% of an organization and moved to a place where I could be firmly in the critical 70%. Now, I am examining what it takes to be in the top 20% of my discipline so that my contributions are long-lasting and meaningful.

If you buy one business book this year - this is the one.

Must read (or rather listen to)

Where does Jack rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best I've listed so far. Content wise it is the distilled knowledge of a great CEO. The narrator managed to deliver the passion of the man.

Any additional comments?

If you have any interest in becoming a better professional, just read it.

Truly inspiring!

With this honest review of his business life -and not only- Jack Welch allows us to see how a truly inspired and determined businessman changed the culture of one of the largest companies in the world.
Well written and beautifuly narrated. A real joy to read (listen).

Great Book

No matter your position or job in business, you will get something out of this book.

Jack Welch's vision is overwelming

Would you listen to Jack again? Why?

I would like to read it again the next decade. After 10 years of work experience Im sure it will bring a different view of a bussines.

What did you like best about this story?

The best part of the audio version is how Mike transmits the passion for the bussines that Jack Welch surely had. In several parts the book gets hard to follow because he is so exited telling what happened in certain meeting or in certain problem that he speeds up the story. But at the same time, is so contagious that makes you want to become the next GE's CEO

Direct insight into his professional life

What did you love best about Jack?

I liked the way he has talked in detail about his professional work. We can get an insight into how multinationals think and work. Also I had more peep into his famous act of "Firing bottom 10%" of the workforce and why he was doing that.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously Jack

If you could give Jack a new subtitle, what would it be?

I think the title perfectly portrays the contents of the book. There is no need to change the title. If I am asked to change the title I will call it as "Straight Talk"

Any additional comments?

Be ready to either read or listen to very very long story.

Great book and audio

Great story of how Jack Welch came to be, and the narrator was spot on had a little east coast Irish accent to him that made the character come alive. Outstanding content and delivery!

Must to read book...Lot of learning..

Good book...never find difficult to finish.. narrator was so passionate, many times think it's Mr Jack Welch himself telling his story.. Excellent Work

Very Good

Good for anyone, but even better if you are familiar with the names and faces that made history in corporate America in the last 20 years. Jack's path touched that of every major businessperson in the country during that period, from Warren Buffet to Bill Gates, as well as that of countless artists, politicians and other influential personalities.