I just finished reading Jack Welch's book which he and a professional writer patched together almost 10 years ago. He ran GE for 20 years and was an out of the box CEO appointment by Reg Jones ,his predecessor. Welch has a relentless ego and an overload of self confidence, but he did drive GE to many new heights. His four major pushes over 20 years were globalization, services, digitization and e-business - all were relatively early in their evolutions. Welch was demanding and disruptive, at times, and yes dominating. It is an interesting question as to how well this style would work today. He went through the same process as Reg did - winnowing a list of 27 successors and making them compete over a couple of years. Jeff Immelt ultimately won, but the other 2 finalists left the company and took over Home Depot and 3M. Many top results-oriented business leaders have come out of GE, and the company has stayed on top for over 6+ decades.
Jack also won several golf championships at Sankaty Head on Nantucket - time to go off and play golf.
I am now reading Google - The Story of Search (2006)- guess I just need to catch up on my business reading.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
High Talent Creatives (The HTC Group)
For 10 years I have been highlighting great business pioneers in monthly High Talent Creative meetings in SW Connecticut. From Sobe to Edgar Online to Boardroom to Exposures - all fascinating success stories with some challenges and ups and downs along the way. We recently met in April with Will Haughy who launched Tegu (www.tegu.com) with his brother - a magnetic wooden block system that was profiled on the Today Show in Jan. The only problem was that due to some unexpected challenges in Honduras (2 presidents among others) they only received their first product shipments in April.
Maud Purcell (www.thelifesolutioncenter.net) shared the story of her new center in June which brings together a range of professionals to help families and professionals by providing professional services (nutrition; counseling, coaching, legal, health etc.) all in one place. A new idea where professionals tag team clients and work closely together out of the same center.
Next week Bonnie Marcus (www.bonniemarcus), who has created a multi-million dollar stationary business and recently licensed some of her unique designs, will meet with the HTC group. She has accomplished all this since 2002 while raising 3 children who are all under 6. Inspiring!
Maud Purcell (www.thelifesolutioncenter.net) shared the story of her new center in June which brings together a range of professionals to help families and professionals by providing professional services (nutrition; counseling, coaching, legal, health etc.) all in one place. A new idea where professionals tag team clients and work closely together out of the same center.
Next week Bonnie Marcus (www.bonniemarcus), who has created a multi-million dollar stationary business and recently licensed some of her unique designs, will meet with the HTC group. She has accomplished all this since 2002 while raising 3 children who are all under 6. Inspiring!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Where To Go From Here book - review by UNH & book signing video
Here is a review in the University of New Hampshire magazine (Fall 2009).
http://unhmagazine.unh.edu/f09/bookreviews.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1I9vVU8-9w Book Signing Greenwich CT Fall 2009
Author Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life (2009) is available through Amazon as a book or ebook through the author.
http://unhmagazine.unh.edu/f09/bookreviews.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1I9vVU8-9w Book Signing Greenwich CT Fall 2009
Author Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life (2009) is available through Amazon as a book or ebook through the author.
New Beginnings
It is a New Year and season. Have you taken the time to set SMART goals that are measurable and realistic? Have you or are you going to reach out to old friends and clients? Are you ready to meet and make new ones? Is it time to launch new initiatives and programs? Spring is just around the corner (somewhere) and people and clients are open to new ideas and trends. Be ahead of the curve.
We (Gwynne & I) just spent a glorious week in Moorish Spain south of Madrid and down near the Costa del Sol. A highlight was taking in the museum show celebrating the 150th anniversary of Washington Irving's stay and writings on The Alhambra in Grenada. He was a New Yorker, who lived and wrote about Columbus and The Alhambra while touring Spain and doing research, and who became revered for his work. The audioguide was full of his gentle and detailed descriptions and insights into this amazing place.
It was inspiring because his life work had such impact on the area. In his later life he lived at Sunnyside on the Hudson river north of New York City - a place I now need to go back and revisit.
We can always learn and grow in so many ways. It is part of the coaching and mentoring process to embrace lifelong learning and share knowledge. As I sat on the bus going to Malaga - birthplace of Picasso - I conversed with an employee of the University of Grenada. The classes are still (boring - my words) lectures with no interaction. As he said "los estudiates no hablan en las classes, tendran miedo" (students do not speak in class, they would be afraid)." In the US we are blessed to have so many fine universities and educational choices and programs. Our system at this level is the envy of the world and draws students from all its four corners (an odd description that is frequently used). What are you passionate about?
Coaching Top Performers to Even Higher Levels of Success -- in their Business and Their Career
We (Gwynne & I) just spent a glorious week in Moorish Spain south of Madrid and down near the Costa del Sol. A highlight was taking in the museum show celebrating the 150th anniversary of Washington Irving's stay and writings on The Alhambra in Grenada. He was a New Yorker, who lived and wrote about Columbus and The Alhambra while touring Spain and doing research, and who became revered for his work. The audioguide was full of his gentle and detailed descriptions and insights into this amazing place.
It was inspiring because his life work had such impact on the area. In his later life he lived at Sunnyside on the Hudson river north of New York City - a place I now need to go back and revisit.
We can always learn and grow in so many ways. It is part of the coaching and mentoring process to embrace lifelong learning and share knowledge. As I sat on the bus going to Malaga - birthplace of Picasso - I conversed with an employee of the University of Grenada. The classes are still (boring - my words) lectures with no interaction. As he said "los estudiates no hablan en las classes, tendran miedo" (students do not speak in class, they would be afraid)." In the US we are blessed to have so many fine universities and educational choices and programs. Our system at this level is the envy of the world and draws students from all its four corners (an odd description that is frequently used). What are you passionate about?
Coaching Top Performers to Even Higher Levels of Success -- in their Business and Their Career
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