I chose Jack Welch as an example of a great leader. He is a strategic thinker, business teacher, a corporate icon, and management theorist. If leadership is an art, then surely Welch has proved himself a master painter. With his unique leadership style and character, Welch made history during his 2-decade journey at General Electric (Twelve Lesson, 2015). While most leaders talk a good game about leadership, he lived it. Welch performed several leadership roles consisting of setting goals, values, managing, achieving workable unity, motivating, explaining, serving as a symbol, and renewing.
Welch’s goal was to fix the companies problems and to have the business operating to its full potential. Welch took charge by following a clear plan, and an encouraging leadership style. His goal was to make GE “better than the best ’’ and become the number one or two competitor in the industry. The company defied the critics and grew profitably by instilling innovation, improved management, taking calculates risks, and by motivation and through the development of employees. Welches implementation of the work-out and best practices program helped reframe the company. These programs changed the corporate culture, enhanced communication skills and instilled new business approaches. Welches’ programs added value because they encouraged employees to toss ideas around and to think outside of the old business culture mold.
In my opinion, Welch’s approach to leading change was excellent. He embrace a shift in company culture to its full extent and led the company into a new phase. It seems obvious that Welch believed that by motivating his employee, the company would succeed. He encouraged employees to be more efficient and effective. He also helped train teams to increase their creativity, analytical thinking, and communication, problem-solving, selling, sales and strategizing.