My bosses cautioned me about my candor. Now my GE career is over, and I'm telling you that it was my candor that helped make it work.
Interpretation
Candor, or honesty, is crucial in leadership, even if it can come with risks.
In this quote, Jack Welch reflects on the importance of being candid in a leadership role. Although he faced cautions from his superiors about his open and honest communication style, he ultimately believes that this very candor was pivotal to his career's success, suggesting that transparency can foster trust and effectiveness in leadership.
In practice
During a team meeting to discuss project progress, I shared my candid thoughts using Jack Welch's quote to emphasize the value of honesty.
You've got to eat while you dream. You've got to deliver on short-range commitments, while you develop a long-range strategy and vision and implement it. The success of doing both. Walking and chewing gum if you will. Getting it done in the short-range, and delivering a long-range plan, and executing on that.
I wanted to change the rules of engagement, asking for more- from fewer. I was insisting that we had to have only the best people...If you wanted excellence, at a minimum, the ambience had to reflect excellence.
A leader's role is not to control people or stay on top of things, but rather to guide, energize and excite.
Control your own destiny or someone else will.
The idea flow from the human spirit is absolutely unlimited. All you have to do is tap into that well. I don't like to use the word efficiency. It's creativity. It's a belief that every person counts.
An overburdened, overstretched executive is the best executive, because he or she doesn't have the time to meddle, to deal in trivia, to bother people.
Know what your people are like, and make sure they do their jobs excellently.
One of the great difficulties as you rise up through an organisation is that your prior competencies are exploded and broken apart by the territory you've been promoted into: the field of human identity.
The leaderβs Attitude is like a thermostat for the place she works. If her attitude is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the environment is easy to work in. But if her attitude is bad, the temperature is insufferable.
The worst of guardians is a cruel ruler. Beware of becoming one of them.
Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles.
Leadership is neither a rank nor a title. It is a choice. The choice to provide care and protection for those for whom we are responsible.
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