Bill Gates is the most overrated, in current lists of business gurus.

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Most of the folks that I have encountered (whom had left GE) and have populated high posts at other companies display an arrogance which will prove to be the downfall of their new respective companies.

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I agree completely with the comment of Bruce. My former employer was headed by a former GE VP. His arrogance in the four years that he ran the place led him to make promises of explosive growth to the stock market, that he could not keep. In turn he bailed by selling out to a much larger firm. (Granting a hefty bonus for himself and the company VPs.)
Had he continued on the path of steady (though unspectacular) growth favored by his predecessor, this would probably still be an independent company.

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Some people like and accept change. Every successful company has been the leader in Making business trends, not following them. That trait, amongst many others, put Jack Welch at the top. His peers, still today, rank him as the most influential businessman in the WORLD, like it or not.

If you work for GE or are an EX Employeee, you already know the difference between a company that makes their future and those that follow business trends, waiting for their fate to be decided by others in the same market. Execution of a business plan, only one key ingredient of a successful business, will only allow your company a minimum amount of ” highly profitable ” cycle time. Developing a new business philosphy, products and markets, while it is risky without the right personnel, allows a company to be profitable for a longer period; Jack grew GE from 14 Billion to 500 Billion Business over 20 years. As a stock owner and investor, you may not agree with every decision he made but you knew he made it for the right reasons, namely, to be more profitable to the investors over a sustained period of time.

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I also feel that Walsh of G.E. is/was far over rated.

I was always taught that: “Hatchet men are a dime a dozen.”

I deal with several G.E. divisions as a customer. Almost all of them are filled with disgrunteled employees. Most no longer even try to hide the fact.

Innovation has to be purchased by buying other companies where it is then stiffled in favor of “operating efficiencies”. This latter also goes under a number of other names, most of which are too crude to post here.

This slave driver mentality is just now beginning to take a toll. I only wonder if this trend will wind up looking like a hockey stick curve.

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