CHAPTER 1

TRANSFORMING GE

Building a Sustainable Corporation from the People Up

FOUNDED IN 1892 BY THOMAS EDISON, General Electric (GE) is one of America’s and the world’s oldest, best-known, most successful, and most closely watched corporations. After generations of being a leading industrial corporation and a symbol of technological prowess and intelligent management, GE ascended to even greater reputational heights under the leadership of Jack Welch, probably the most iconic—and at times controversial—CEO of the past fifty years. With almost as many public images as Madonna, ranging from the ruthless “Neutron Jack” to the inspirational great communicator known for his sound-bite summaries of business strategies (for example, “Be number one ...

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