Jack Welch

Jack Welch is the probably the most admired CEO in US history. After taking a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, he began his career with the General Electric Company in 1960, and in 1981 became the company's eighth Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He retired in 2001, and published his autobiography 'Jack - Straight from the Gut', an international best-seller.

His view is that 'managers muddle, while leaders inspire' with a clear vision of how things can be done better. He says: 'What we are looking for are leaders at every level who can energize, excite and inspire rather than enervate, depress and control.'

In his own time at GEC Mr. Welch was known for an informal approach that allowed him to get to know his employees, interact with them, and get involved in all aspects of the business. He also prided himself on his personal touches, such as the handwritten memos to employees. But while he's known as personable and persistent, he is also renowned for being a demanding leader, which is why employees dubbed him Neutron Jack.

He recalls, 'I was 'Neutron Jack' once'. That was in the period from 1981 to 1985 when, as newly elected chairman and CEO, he cut 100,000 out of 400,000 jobs at GE. Employees used the 'neutron' nickname because it sounded like the nuclear bomb that kills human beings yet leaves buildings intact.

'The toughest job in anyone's life is to take somebody out of a job,' he once said. 'But other than that, these high-profile jobs are pretty great jobs. You hang around with good people, you play a lot of golf, and you have a pretty good life. That's what success is all about. It's getting people you like, who want to take the hill with you, who want to win, who have the passion. This is not rocket science.'

So what sort of tips is Mr. Welch likely to present in Dubai this autumn? In the past he has stressed the need for a strategic vision in business leadership, the need for passion and the inspiration of others, and to realize that good ideas can come from anyone, high or low, in an organization.

He also believes that leaders should avoid micro-management and inspire others to execute rather then try to do it all themselves. On the other hand, he thinks you should lead by example with what he calls the four E's of leadership: energy, energize, edge and execution.

Indeed his own model for a big company is to make it behave like a small company, of which he says, 'They are uncluttered, simple, and informal. They thrive on passion and ridicule bureaucracy. Small companies grow on good ideas - regardless of their source.

'They need everyone, involve everyone, and reward and remove people based on their contribution to winning. Small companies dream big dreams and set the bar high - increments and fractions don't interest them.'

In Dubai Mr. Welch will also address the issue of why he thinks so few CEOs succeed in sustaining results over a longer period of time, and why so many have fallen short of expectations. It should make an interesting presentation.