Jack Welch On Legacy and Human Resource Management

From the origin of the phrase, You don’t need to be a rocket scientist in order to understand … this…
(Taken from the book "Winning", by Jack Welch)

On the question, “Do you think you will go to heaven?”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, my first answer to this one was, “Well, I sure hope that’s long range planning!”

But after the audience stopped laughing---they were as surprised by the question as I was---the man who asked this question made it clear that he wanted to understand what I considered my legacy.

First off, I hate the word legacy. It just sound so arrogant. Presidents and Prime Ministers have legacies. I ran a company and write a book or two.

…

If there is anything I would like to be remembered for it is that I helped people understand that leadership is helping other people grow and succeed. To repeat myself, leadership is not just about you. It’s about them.

I would also like to be remembered as a huge advocate of candor and meritocracy, and believing everything deserves a chance. And I like to be remembered for trying to make the case that you can never let yourself be a victim.

Now, it is no secret that I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my career. I’ve made some bad acquisitions, hired some wrong people, and moved too slowly on some opportunities. And that is just a fraction of the list.

As for my personal life, I have four great children and nine terrific grandchildren. My love ad admiration for them cannot be expressed with words, and their happy fulfilling lives today give me no end of pleasure. I had two marriages, however, that did not work out. Life goes on and usually for the better, but no one lives through two divorces and feels proud that they happened.

So, as for heaven, who knows? I’m sure not perfect, but if there are any points given out for caring about people with every fiber of your being and giving life all you’ve got every day, then I suppose I have a slot.

Given the choice, of course, I’d rather not find out anytime soon!

There’s so much more to do.


On Human Resource Management
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Ted threw open the shutters and let the light shine in. HR processes soon became transparent, and more importantly, they began to make sense. By the time Ted retired in 1985, HR was on its way to doing exactly what it should: listening to people vent, brokering internal differences, and helping managers develop leaders and build careers. That’s why the best HR people are a kind of hybrid: one part pastor, who hears all sins and complains without recrimination, and one part parent, who loves and nurtures, but gives it to you fast and straight when you’re off track.

I’ve found over the years that the best pastor-parent types have usually run something once in their careers---a factory, a product line, or another function. But I’ve also seen some come right up through HR. Either way, the best have stature beyond their rank and title. They know the business---its every detail.They understand the tension between marketing and manufacturing, or between two executives who once went after the same job. They see the hidden hierarchies in people’s minds---the invisible org chart of … connections that exists in every company. They know the players and the history.

Along with stature, pastor-parent types have got integrity oozing out of them. That integrity comes from unrelenting candor and trustworthiness. Pastor-parents listen with uncommon care, tell the truth, and hold confidences tight.

They also know how to settle a disagreement.

We’d all like to believe that good companies don’t need referees. But they do. People get passed over…interdivisional issues…perception error…

For an interview with Jack Welch, Author / Former Chairman & CEO, GE; Suzy Welch, Author / Former Editor, Harvard Business Review, Book: "Winning" [Publisher: Harper Business], watch and listen: