Jack Welch Webinar: ‘In a Business, There Are Two Measurements That Count’

Jack Welch, the legendary chief executive who transformed General Electric into one of the most successful companies of the last century during his tenure died today according to media reports. He was 84.

Welch was one of the most widely-followed and imitated CEOs of our time, who made lean operations a cornerstone of modern management and nurtured a who’s who of executives who went on to run many of the nation’s best-known businesses after leaving GE. He was named Chief Executive of the Year in 1993. He presided over a stock surge of nearly 3,000 percent during his tenure, according to Bloomberg.

His influence on a generation of management thinking is indisputable. In an online master class he co-hosted last year on employee engagement with Chief Executive and Execute to Win, an Arizona consultancy, Welch laid out his basic principles for leadership. It’s a reminder of his powerful ability to distill and communicate complexity though simple shorthand—that identifying, focusing and communicating a few key elements is, in many ways, the most essential CEO skill.

“People talk employee engagement, but they don’t live it,” he said. “You’ve got to live it every day. You’ve got to get into the skin of your people. You’ve got to make them feel the objectives, make them feel where you’re going. How you’re going to get there and what they have to do to participate and what’s in it for them when you get there. If you do that, you engage.

“In a business, there are two measurements that count. Employee engagement and customer satisfaction. You get those two things right and then you measure cash flow—and cash flow is the ultimate measurement. You’ll watch your cash flow grow as you engage your employees and satisfy your customers.”


MORE LIKE THIS

  • Get the CEO Briefing

    Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry
  • upcoming events

    Roundtable

    Strategic Planning Workshop

    1:00 - 5:00 pm

    We are in a period of rapid change. Customer needs, technologies, competitors and internal capabilities require companies to review and update their strategies for the new realities. In this workshop, strategy experts Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison will show you a systematic approach to strategic planning to help you refine or redefine your business strategy and approach including:

    • Learn what you need to know to develop an effective strategic plan. Put the right players on the strategic planning team.
    • Develop strategies that leverage your company’s unique position in the marketplace. Lift your management team beyond “business as usual” thought processes and activities.
    • Translate your strategies into action. Achieve your vision for success and generate superior financial results.
    • Identify exactly what you need to do now to position your company for future success.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

    Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

    2:00 - 5:00 pm

    Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

    Limited space available.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

    Golf Outing

    10:30 - 5:00 pm
    General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
    Sponsored by UBS

    General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

    The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.