Chapter 16. The Role of the CEO and Measures of Acceleration Pool Success

Jack Welch, the CEO of General Electric, believes that his most important job is motivating and assessing GE leaders and future leaders. He feels so strongly about it that he spends about 50 percent of his time on people issues. Welch likens his role in succession management to that of a gardener. “You have to go along with a can of fertilizer in one hand and water in the other and constantly throw both on the flowers.” He emphasizes that all of the plants in his garden need to be watered and nurtured (i.e., developed), but that some plants require extra fertilizer and attention to ensure that they will fully blossom. Equally important, Welch notes that some plants need ...

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