Welch would openly challenge upcoming promotions, assignments, and succession plans.
What I like about Welch with this is the effect that this will have upon managers.
The most important thing is right at the beginning where it says that Welch will openly challenge what his managers were proposing. It wasn't something done behind-the-scenes or in secret. That's crucial because it reiterates the importance of open communication that does so much to get rid of the negative idea of someone talking behind your back.
While it may have intimidates some people, managers, no matter what their personality type, do need backbone if they're going to make it. This was an added benefit of the openness in which Welch communicated.
The other valuable thing about Welch challenging a lot of what his managers presented was that it forced them to do their homework diligently.
You didn't come in with some general idea and throw them around and expect them to be readily accepted. You had to come in and be convincing of what it was you believed in your plans. That meant you had to be very specific and ready to answer "why?" to the feedback of Welch.
Welch has received criticism in this area with some saying he was too quick to rush to judgement about people. But as others have said, even with that quick response, he was willing to be persuaded otherwise.
One to the things Welch was doing here was forcing his managers to think and act in certain ways. He knew that competitors wouldn't be nice to them, so he was toughening them up for the real world. They needed to know they were right for their sakes and the sakes of the company. To ensure that Welch was willing to challenge anybody and anything.
Other Jack Welch Resources:
Jack Welch's advice to MIT Sloan students
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