Welcome to The Welch Way

MISSION STATEMENTS THAT WORK: YOUR ROADMAP TO WINNING

"How do you intend to win in business?" That's the most fundamental question you can ask yourself. This section invites you to take a step back and revisit your organization’s mission. Far too many companies have nice posters on the walls filled with impressive and motivational words that really don't mean much of anything nor provide the focus needed to unify teams to be successful. Jack explains what many companies do wrong when they create mission and values statements – and what you can do to avoid that mistake.

MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM WITH MISSION AND VALUES

Jack discusses what it takes to get your team focused on winning and you can do as a leader to create and sustain a passion for achieving your mission. In this section, you’ll take a look at your own practices and behaviors and ask yourself whether you are doing everything you can to bring the mission life every day.

MANAGING YOUR PEOPLE FOR PERFORMANCE

Companies win when their managers can make a clear and meaningful distinction between top- and bottom-performing businesses and make the appropriate decisions around allocating resources to those businesses with the greatest potential. This section addresses key issues that are essential in building a great team and creating a high performing company. Specifically, we discuss the concept of differentiation which is the practice of treating people differently based on their performance and how they demonstrate the values of the company.

HIRING GREAT PEOPLE

Hiring great people is critical to building a winning team, but sometimes the process seems like a mix between a root canal and a wild gamble. In fact, hiring well is one of the toughest challenges that managers face. Jack shares his experiences (including his own mistakes) about the hiring process and shares the one rule that every hiring manager must follow.

GETTING EVERY BRAIN IN THE GAME

You can't build a winning organization alone; it takes a team. Your job as the leader of that team is to ensure that everyone feels that they have the right to speak their mind and have their thoughts and opinions heard. In this lecture Jack discusses how to ensure that you get every brain in the game and that each member of the team is contributing to finding a better way every day.

FIVE QUALITIES OF GREAT LEADERS

What makes a leader "great"? What are you bringing to the game? Do you have the energy to make things happen? Do you have the kind of passion that inspires your team? Jack discusses the five attributes that great leaders have and that managers should be looking for in everyone they bring into the team.

CANDOR: GETTING TO WHAT MATTERS

There is no place in business for being anything other than being frank and honest. Anything less will slow things down. Candor is what cuts through the clutter and gives visibility into what is really going on – something that is critical for your team to win. Jack addresses the misconceptions that many of us carry around about what candor is and is not, and why it is absolutely critical for the success of your business.

GOING WITH YOUR GUT: HOW TO MAKE TOUGH CALLS

It goes without saying that you don't get to be a leader without having the guts to make tough calls. Jack has had to make thousands of tough calls throughout his career, and in many cases these calls had to be made without having complete information. Great leaders understand that with the privilege of leadership comes the responsibility of making decisions that impact the lives and welfare of others.

BUILDING A LEARNING ORGANIZATION

Winning organizations are learning organizations. You've got to come to work every day focused on how you can make things better. If not, you'll end up doing the same things over and over again...and while you're doing this, your competition will be busy building better products, improving their efficiency and taking your customers from you. Jack discusses what companies have to do to keep themselves viable and competitive. It's not about having all the answers. In fact, great leaders NEVER think they have all the answers. Great leaders ask great questions and know that it's their job to challenge assumptions and always push for more.

REWARDING RISK

There are a lot of misconceptions about risk. Some companies thrive on it, others avoid it almost completely. Jack discusses risk and explains not only when it should and shouldn't be taken, but also what companies need to do to reward it – if it is a behavior that aligns to their mission and values. Jack teaches a radical approach to rewarding risk that has paid huge dividends in building strong teams.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Does your company have a culture of celebration? Work is too important to not be a place of celebration, but many managers feel that celebrating is a distraction that takes the focus away from what has to get done. This section discusses the common mistakes that many managers make when it comes to celebration and how you can avoid making those same mistakes with your team.

YOU’RE A LEADER, NOW WHAT?

Course wrap-up and closing thoughts from Jack.