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What Made jack welch JACK WELCH: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders ReviewStephen Baum's leadership book, "What Made jack welch into JACK WELCH: How Ordinary People become Extraordinary Leaders," is this year's business book masterpiece. I regularly read a sampling from the hundreds of business success books published each year. And, in this case, Baum's work is missing the usual after-the-fact braggadocio, and instead is loaded of insight, introspection and reflection, all crafted in useful advice for the aspiring leader.
As I read Baum's work, per his advice to begin my own inventory, I took laptop to lap, instead of pen to hand, and began making notes and holding my own personal introspection sessions related to each chapter. It took me five times longer to read Baum's work than any business book I have read in years as I found myself stopping over and over to add a note here and there about my experiences, as I inventoried my own archetypal shaping experiences.
While I tired of the phrase "swimming over your head" I couldn't offer a more appropriate phrase to viscerally describe the experience of trying new experiences in preparation for assuming the mantel of leadership. I also must commend Baum for the depth of his sourcing from his own interviews, written texts of successful leaders, and confidential conversations from his professional network. This deep insight is successful in reinforcing Baum's theories and concepts in each case. In the personal gut searching spirit of James Lipton's, "Inside the Actors' Studio," this book works.
Baum's text discusses a wide range of shaping experiences he calls "archetypal shaping experiences," helps identify "empty suits" in leadership positions, goes into serious depth about skills and attributes critical to leadership including: action orientation, ethics, managed risk taking, developing confidence, and acting decisively. He concludes the book with two powerful capstone chapters.
Chapter 7 on engaging and inspiring team members by using "signal acts" and authenticity is very thought provoking. He gives some great examples and discusses the concept of parenting. One nit I would pick with Baum is his light treatment or warning around making sure not to treat workers as small children in the family. In my varied career, I have seen many executives bring their parenting skills into the workplace and then complain about how immature their workers are, how they need too much direction and guidance, all the while treating their workers like five-year olds. It would be nice to see how parenting works well and a comparison of when if works to the detriment of an organization. Baum might summarize, we want loyal families, but we also want them to grow up and leave the nest for their own success.
Baum concludes with Chapter 8 on finding a career guide or mentor, which he calls "guardian angels." He discusses the attributes of these angels who ask tough but gentle questions, offer gentle and not so gentle advice, get you to look into the mirror and help shape your character. Baum offers some heartfelt examples of how mentors shaped the successful career launches of some of his interviewees. And last but certainly not least, Baum and his interviewees take time and print to herald the importance of angels at the bottom of the organization, who roll up their sleeves, get the job done, and won't hide or obscure the truth. As I read this chapter concluding the book, it became obvious that Baum has elegantly packaged his experiences as a coach and executive advisor along with his interviewees into an elegant work, and as such has become a mentor to me, and could be a mentor to you through the pages of his book. What a gift!
Baum's text ranks with the best of the best in terms of leadership guidance, inspiration and introspection. As an author, Stephen Baum and his collaborator Dave Conti join the hallowed ranks of Peter F. Drucker (Management), Warren Bennis (The Leadership Advantage), Stephen Covey (7 Habits), Tom Peters (In Search of...), and Peter M. Senge (The 5th Discipline).
If you are in the honored position of mentoring an up and coming leader, I can think of no better holiday gift for the upcoming season than Baum's book. And even if you just see a glimmer of leadership hidden in one of your subordinates or peers, I can think of nothing better than Baum's book as a lever to encourage them in a deep examination of their own soul and capacity to step into a stronger leadership position.
I have a good friend and mentor who taught me the importance of self-reflection and of taking the effort to thank those individuals that have had a great influence on your life and success. I am proud to add Stephen Baum to that list of my great influencers and to thank him for his new book. I believe you will do the same.
One final note, in my professional life I have been exposed to quite a few books from the peer groups and Chairs of Vistage, (formerly TEC), and for once am relieved to see that I was not force fed the value of their groups, no slam against Vistage, I believe whole heartedly in their mission, I just don't like getting force fed the allegories and appreciate the solid research and balance Baum brings to his work while sharing acknowledgment to the contributions of his peer group of CEOs.
8/30/2007 Review by:
Gordon W Stanley
Co-founder and President, Red Team Advisors, Inc.
An advisory firm specializing in workflow efficiency and document management.
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