Jack: Straight from the Gut
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Jack: Straight from the Gut Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jack Welch (Author), John A. Byrne (Author), Mike Barnicle (Narrator),
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,019 ratings
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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.

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  1. Listening Length
    13 hours and 57 minutes
  2. Author
    Jack Welch, see all
  3. Narrator
    Mike Barnicle
  4. Audible release date
    July 20, 2001
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Hachette Audio
  7. ASIN
    B00005NZJG
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 13 hours and 57 minutes
Author Jack Welch, John A. Byrne
Narrator Mike Barnicle
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 20, 2001
Publisher Hachette Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00005NZJG
Best Sellers Rank #35,083 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#124 in Biographies of Business Leaders
#312 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals
#331 in Business Management (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,019 global ratings
Proud Papa Darwin
5 Stars
Proud Papa Darwin
Darwinian natural selection asserts: normal members of a species thrive in an existing environment while the abnormal are denied membership, forced to the periphery into a strange and challenging environment. The nature of this remote environment is such that the mutant thrives, becoming the new norm. In some instances, the old comfortable environment changes catastrophically in a direction that favors an outlier, an extreme variant. This relationship holds in all human endeavor. It is those who do not “fit in” who become pioneers. They are the avant garde, the pathfinders in science, art, technology, land development, and business administration. Pioneers make the best of a new niche. The niche becomes the norm and its population proliferates creating a new generation of freaks, mutants and oddballs in a new left field. When the going gets weird - the weird get going.
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Top reviews from the United States

MAGBRANDER
5.0 out of 5 stars Best business book
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
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This is Probably the best business book that I’ve ever read and I’ve read a lot of them. I would make this mandatory reading for any manager and CEO.
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Yorkie
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
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Great insights into GE history and Welchs leadership. Highly recommend.
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Michael
4.0 out of 5 stars A Passion for Excellence & Bringing Out the Best in People
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2008
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Jack Welch's life has been about excellence, winning....and having fun. His autobiography, "Jack: Straight From the Gut", tells how he rose from small town roots to become CEO of General Electric, arguably the greatest corporation in America and the world at the end of the 20th Century. During his life's journey, Welch accomplished more than most ever dream of. He earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering by the age of 25. During his 20 year tenure as head of GE, company revenues soared from $27 billion in 1981 to $130 billion in 2001. GE's annual growth rate averaged 18.9 percent during this period, and its stock rose a staggering 3,098 percent.

Without any formal management training, Welch worked his way up from "process development specialist" in 1960 to CEO of GE in 1981. His management secret? Welch attributes his success in life and business to living the lessons his mother drilled into him during his youth. She taught him early that he had better face the facts of any tough situation if he was to succeed: "Don't kid yourself. It is the way it is." she would tell him repeatedly. "Grace Welch taught me the value of competition, just as she taught me the pleasure of winning and the need to take defeat in stride,"... "If I have any leadership style, a way of getting the best out of people, I owe it to her," Welch writes.

And getting the best out of people, himself included, is what Jack Welch did best. He was such a great manager largely because he focused on bringing out the best in his employees, making GE into a "people factory". He knew that a business cannot afford to be soft-hearted when it comes to grading and rewarding, or punishing, employees based upon their performance. He knew that the value of a business is primarily the talents, skills, and knowledge of its people. Under Jack Welch, GE changed from bureaucracy to meritocracy - focused on grading its people, rewarding the best, encouraging the middle, and getting rid of the rest. As he writes: "Performance management has been part of everyone's life from the first grade. It starts in grade school with advanced placement. Differentiation applies to football teams, cheerleading squads, and honor societies....There's differentiation for all of us in our first 20 years. Why should it stop in the workplace, where most of our waking hours are spent?"

Welch characterized the traits that made him successful and that he sought in others as "The Four E's": 1. Energy of personality, 2. the Enthusiasm to communicate that energy to others, 3. the Edge to make tough decisions, and 4. the Execution to see those decisions implemented. The Four E's were connected by the "Big P: Passion". Welch's integrity to this vision of employee excellence is seen repeatedly in the book when he promotes unrecognized and unrewarded employees because he saw the four E's and big P in them, where others did not. Most of these individuals went on to become successful upper managers at GE and even CEO's of other large corporations.

Whether being blasted in the media as "Neutron Jack" for laying off thousands of employees while building a state-of-the-art management training center, or executing the buyout of other companies, such as RCA with its NBC network, or implementing a system to share best practices among GE companies world-wide (a concept he termed "boundaryless"), Welch dove into each project with seemingly inexhaustible passion and zeal. He brought the same dedication to implementing each company-wide program he initiated: Globalization, Growing Services, Six Sigma, and E-business. Welch loves what he created at GE. The company definitely became his baby - and he was the heart and soul of GE during his time as CEO.

As an autobiography, Jack Straight from the Gut, is a pleasure to read. Welch's A-type, straight talking personality comes through, with the help of co-author John A. Byrne, in a natural, down-to-earth writing style. Jack Welch's rise from small town Irish immigrant roots to chairman of General Electric is one of the most engaging and inspiring business tales you will ever read. Welch is a late Twentieth Century version of Andrew Carnegie: rising to fame and fortune from a humble background. His life is a confirmation of the American virtues of free enterprise system, with its focus on the values of hard work, integrity, ambition and excellence. Jack Welch is a real life Ayn Rand business hero. Like Howard Roark or John Galt, he struggled across his career, and despite numerous set-backs, he ultimately rose up to create a life of great achievements. Welch sought excellence in himself and those around him. As a result, he drove GE, its thousands of employees, and the American economy to unprecedented levels of productivity and prosperity.
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Danial Hallock
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable autobiography; not a management textbook
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2013
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This book blurs the line between an autobiography, a corporate history book, and a management instructional; and it does it well. This has been one of the most engaging books on the subject matter, taking a relatively benign subject (how a hard working nobody become a CEO and superstar of an appliance and technology company), and makes it personable.

The language isn't formal, academic, or even moderated. If you're offended by the occasional use of foul language, you'll be offended on a few occasions, Jack tells it how it is. He recounts his climb through the ranks of General Electric, and how he managed to create the vision that led to GE's success.

The book is an autobiography, and there's not a lot of dissenting view points. While Jack does mention that some of his decisions were unpopular, and how some of his actions were flops, the analysis of why these ventures failed are always introspective. That doesn't allow for a complete picture of GE's history during Jack's tenure with the company, but for those of us who aren't working for (or competing against) them, it suffices.

More importantly, it's enjoyable. There are a few nuggets of wisdom (giving 'stretch' promotions at the beginning of a career, the No 1 / No 2 philosophy, encourage big swings and never punish a big miss) contained within the book, but it's not a management philosophy text book.

You aren't likely to find any profound quotes or revalations contained in these pages; and if you can manage that expectation, then this book is a fantastic read.
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D. Brusiee
5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Welch's book is great
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2003
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Just a few notes from "Jack straight from the Gut" book which is primarily focused on Jack Welch's 30 years with General Electric.
PhD IN CHEMISTRY: earned this from University of Illinois before starting his career in business which ended up being primarily focused on working for and managing General Electric.
This allowed him to really understand many of GE's products when needed during his 41 year tenure.
DO THE RIGHT THING: even when you have to put your job at risk. Doesn't make sense to do the wrong thing just so as to not "rock the boat"
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE WORKFORCE; one way to do this is to fire the bottom 10% of employees on a yearly basis. This earned him the nickname of "Neutron Jack" even though he always tried these workers other positions within the
company and not with competitors.
QUINTUPLE HEART BYPASS: was performed just a few years ago after suffering angina pains for about 15 years.
AVID GOLFER: all of his life with a very low handicap.
EMBRACED QUALITY: throughout the company with a 6 Sigma program.
CONTINUALLY DEVELOP WORKERS to maintain productivity. Hired outside talent as needed.
MEASURE ALL BUSINESS UNITS using ROI calculations in addition to revenue and profits.
BUY OR SELL BUSINESS UNITS: in order to grow a business or cut losses as needed
GE PURCHASES: over $50B worth of goods and services on a yearly basis
OVERHEAD EXPENSES: reduced by 30% or $10B by fully implementing
digital control of all processes including the use of the Internet.
EMPLOYMENT: over 300,000 workers worldwide.
MARRIED 3 TIMES: currently living in Boston with a young wife and her 4 children.
FUTURE PREDICTIONS: China represents the biggest competitor which will drive most non performing companies out of business.
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Martin
3.0 out of 5 stars Bad glue
Reviewed in Mexico on July 6, 2023
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Martin
3.0 out of 5 stars Bad glue
Reviewed in Mexico on July 6, 2023
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Brune
5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait
Reviewed in France on July 29, 2023
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Envoi rapide et soigné.
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butterfly
5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition of the book received
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2021
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Very good condition for this book.
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butterfly
5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition of the book received
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2021
Very good condition for this book.
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Naina
5.0 out of 5 stars strive to be honest to the core in your life and your work.
Reviewed in India on November 16, 2021
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He is a man to be followed in good faith if you want to become successful in your career come what may you should not waver in your chosen ideals Work-out should be the policy .
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Luís Coladel
5.0 out of 5 stars Entregou aquilo que descreveu.
Reviewed in Brazil on May 6, 2020
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Ágil no login, na busca, no processo de compra e na entrega, bem como a relação entre a descrição anexa ao produto e o que foi entregue, integralmente cumprido.
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