Winning by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch

He ultimately sought to eliminate all bureaucracy from the company – he hated bureaucracy.
             As passionate as he is about candor, he is also brutal in his management of people. Much of his philosophy in hiring and firing is Darwinian and perhaps this is why there are more CEOs across the country that started out at GE than any other company in the U.S. He simplifies successful leadership into eight rules: .
             #1 Relentlessly upgrade your team. In every encounter with them, "evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence.".
             #2 Inspire the vision.
             #3 Spread energy and optimism.
             #4 Establish trust through transparency and candor.
             #5 Make the unpopular decisions.
             #6 Make sure that "questions are answered with action".
             #7 Take risks and continue to learn so that you can inspire the same habits in your team.
             #8 Celebrate success! Good work should always be rewarded.
             In the early 1980's Jack Welch became known for institutionalizing corporate downsizing. In an effort to dismantle a corporate hierarchy that he saw as nothing but wasteful bureaucracy, he cut 100,000 jobs from 1981 to 1985. This move was so painful to employees that he earned the nickname "Neutron Jack" after the nuclear bomb that vaporizes people but leaves buildings standing. His goal in restructuring is to have as flat of an organizational chart as possible. Everyone should be clear on who they report to and what their responsibilities are. To get through the most difficult part of his job, he abided by 2 rules for firing employees and layoffs. First, nobody should be surprised when they are let go. He maintained a clear enough line of communication, formally and informally, with his employees so that it was clear to the employee when his or her performance was not to par with expectations. In the best case situation, the employee would be able to proactively search for a job that is a better fit. Then he or she could leave on pleasant terms and on their own accord.