Welch's 21 Steps to Management Greatness - 16
Involve Everyone
Jack Welch caught the essence of business like very few business leaders before him. Along with Welch though, far before it became the flavor of the day, the great business leaders embraced the understanding that their people held the key to their business.
While things like vision, culture and corporate values can't be delegated, the vast majority of other things in business can be; and should be.
One of the things Welch understood was how badly General Electric (GE) needed to tap into the brain power, creativity and innovation represented in its people.
Welch said: "Business is all about capturing intellect from every person. The way to engender enthusiasm it to allow employees far more freedom and far more responsibility."
It's the execution of this that makes the difference. We've heard this mantra many times in the past, and yet numerous companies and leaders just go back to doing business as usual; wondering why things are going forward like they should. Only our people can take things forward, and within the purpose of the company, bring things further than we ever imagined.
After this much time you'd think most business leaders would get this, but they still resist and battle letting their people go and perform great exploits for the company, their customers and one another.
We need to let our people go and allow them to write the details of the story we're trying to tell through our business.
Through this there will be legends and lore of what this person or that person did to make them a hero to the company. This in turn engenders more tries and ideas that are given opportunity to take root within the ground of the company.
This more than almost anything else is what sets the great leaders and companies apart from others.
Other Jack Welch Resources:
Jack Welch's advice to MIT Sloan students
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