Winning
by Jack Welch · first published 2005
59% recommend24% neutral18% critical
Why HN recommends it
Practical leadership book with a behind-the-scenes view of GE at the executive level; praised for its take on candor and job fit, useful for managers at large companies or startups.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
During his forty-year career at General Electric, Welch led the company to year-after-year success around the globe, in multiple markets, against brutal competition. His honest, be-the-best style of management became the gold standard in business, with his relentless focus on people, teamwork, and profits. Since Welch retired in 2001 as chairman and CEO of General Electric, he has traveled the world, speaking and answering questions. Now, he has written both a philosophical and pragmatic book, which lays out his answers. He begins with his business philosophy, exploring the importance of value
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"Winning" by Jack Welch http://budurl.com/vsz3 One of the best books I've ever read about business. The ideas presented work well in startups or larger corporations. The section about "candor" fantastic.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite management books?” ↗Great article, and great quote. I would definitely recommend reading the whole book Winning by Jack Welch -- I personally just finished it. It provides great insight to management and the behind-the-scenes look of GE at an executive level.
on “CEOs Don’t Come Pre-Made. Authentic Leadership Has To Be Learned” ↗…intelligence" was funny and I can relate... but otherwise, I wouldn't want to live in a society where people are secretly hating you but "speaking ill of no man" a.k.a. "not criticizing." I liked the book Winning by Jack Welch more, which advocates for "candor," and is essentially the opposite of How to Win Friends.
on “My stages of learning to be a socially normal person” ↗Winning, by Jack Welch The best business book I ever read.
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗It sounds like you're looking for a primer on career management in a large company. I recommend Jack Welch's book Winning. Available in the business section of most public libraries, and cheap on Amazon.
on “Ask HN: How to avoid being "taken lightly" at work?” ↗You may want to consider reading "Winning", by Jack Welch. If that little bit made you reconsider your job, his chapter on job fit would probably be right up your alley.
on “How to hire good people instead of nice people” ↗…what a person says. Just because I can't make the maths work doesn't mean mathematics don't work. Maybe I'm just clumsy. I've become aware of the resentment some people have towards Welch after reading "Winning" (which I liked a lot). I'm not familiar with the controversy, but from what I have seen, Welch is revered by a lot of people too. It appears GE's valuation increased 4000% when he was at the helm. Though…
on “Books Warren Buffett thinks you should read” ↗…Yes - Roger Fisher, William L. Ury (teaches you how to negotiate and how to get the best out of each situation for yourself and the other part, will be useful both at work and personal life, a bit dry) Winning - Jack Welch (great advices on leadership, might be more useful to someone that is running a big company) Leadership Is an Art - Max Depree (great leadership advices, it will give you the right mindset…
on “Ask YC: favorite books” ↗Here's my shortlist: - The Art of the Advantage (33 stratagems) - Winning By Jack Welch - Tribal Leadership - Creativity Inc - The Lean Startup (~leadership in the face of uncertainty)
on “Ask HN: Best book / resources on leadership, especially for tech teams?” ↗…Ramsinghani) - Done Deals (Udayan Gupta) - The Power Law (Sebastian Mallaby) - VC (Tom Nicholas) Board - Boardroom Excellence (Paul Brountas) - Startups Boards (Brad Feld and Mahendra Ramsinghani) M&A - Winning (Jack Welch) - M&A chapter - Connecting the Dots (John Chambers) - M&A chapter Marketing - Data-Driven Marketing (Mark Jeffery) - Positioning (Al Ries and Jack Trout) - Scientific Advertising (Claude…
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗…Markets" - http://www.amazon.com/Solution-Selling-Creating-Difficult-Ma... "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition" - http://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Legendary-Antarc... "Winning" - http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Jack-Welch/dp/0060753943/ I wish he had answered in text. That would have made things easier :) However, I'm still very happy to have some new additions to my reading…
on “Sam Altman's Twitter AMA” ↗Did you read the result you linked? > Several handbooks on highly effective communication in organizations are: 1. “Winning” by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch, which emphasizes clear communication, open dialogue, and transparency in organizational success. 2. “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott, focusing on transforming everyday…
on “How to give a senior leader feedback without getting fired” ↗> I liked the book Winning by Jack Welch more Jack Welch the sociopath?? Or is there another author with that same name?
on “My stages of learning to be a socially normal person” ↗> Winning by Jack Welch Why do I get the impression that this book is very much in line with Charlie Sheen's personal philosophy?
on “My stages of learning to be a socially normal person” ↗…the worst case, on day 9, day 10, and day 11. Six Sigma in other words is not about averages. It’s about variation and removing it from your customer’s interface with you. — Jack Welch, from his book “Winning”
on “Ask HN: Is six sigma still considered a best practice?” ↗