A Winning Combination

Jack Welch, dubbed by Fortune magazine the "manager of the century," has condensed a lifetime of experiences into a straightforward how-to business book for those out to set a benchmark of excellence in leadership and management. Neutron Jack, as the now-retired CEO of GE was known, had a tell-it-like-it-is communication style during his four-and-a-half decades at GE. Winning, co-authored with his wife, Suzy, is no different-succinct and to the point.

In Winning, published by Harper-Collins, Welch focuses on philosophical and pragmatic management techniques beginning with an overview of recommended cultural values, such as candor, differentiation among employees and including all voices in decision-making. From there, the book flows into three distinct categories: one's own company; the competition; and a different tack for Jack-advice on personal careers.

When asked about work-life balance, an issue Welch believes has intensified since his retirement, he says, "There's lip service about work-life balance and there's reality. Make the choices and take the action that ultimately will make sense to you. Work-life means making choices

and tradeoffs, and living with the consequences. It is that simple-and that complex."

Winning is a substantive follow-up to his previous work, Jack: Straight from the Gut.

If you judge a book by its cover before deciding to buy, then trust the larger-than-life references on the back from titans Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Rudy Giuliani. They are all cut from the same Winning mold.

-Lois Bolin