What do you think?
Rate this book
O MBA da Vida Real. Como Entender as Regras do Jogo, Liderar Uma Equipe de Sucesso e Vencer os Desafios
“Quando você conversa com Jack sobre gerenciamento, a energia e a paixão dele dominam o ambiente. Você passa pela mesma experiência ao ler este livro: o entusiasmo de Jack pula de cada página.” – Warren E. Buffett, filantropo e presidente da Berkshire Hathaway
“Um olhar imparcial e abrangente sobre como ter sucesso nos negócios.” – Bill Gates
Afinal, por que algumas organizações prosperam enquanto outras não conseguem sequer manter os resultados? Como evitar ser passado para trás pela concorrência e como agir se isso acontecer? O que um líder precisa fazer para extrair paixão e alto rendimento da equipe, inclusive dos gênios cujo trabalho não entende, dos funcionários remotos que mal conhece e daqueles que estão sempre jogando contra o time?
Neste livro, Jack e Suzy Welch abordam a importância de transmitir a missão e os valores da empresa aos funcionários e incentivar as boas ideias entre seus colaboradores. Também analisam formas inovadoras de pensar sobre marketing e finanças e sugerem medidas realistas para lidar com as crises.
Eles apresentam um novo modelo de liderança, elaborado para dar conta das transformações das últimas décadas, descrevendo tudo o que você precisa para montar uma equipe campeã, cobrindo temas como contratação, motivação, retenção, trabalho remoto e mudanças geradas pelas novas tecnologias.
O MBA da vida real reúne tudo o que você precisa saber para:
Cultivar os comportamentos essenciais para uma liderança eficaz;
Formar uma equipe motivada que seja mais forte no conjunto do que na soma das partes;
Contratar profissionais brilhantes usando uma técnica que diminui as chances de erro;
Reinventar-se a fim de sair da estagnação na carreira e descobrir a sua Área de Destino;
Transmitir a missão e os valores da empresa para sua equipe;
Criar uma estratégia que não fique ultrapassada com o tempo;
Evitar uma rasteira da concorrência ou se recuperar de uma queda caso seja tarde demais;
Estimular o crescimento num ambiente desfavorável e incentivar as boas ideias entre todos;
Ir além da burocracia para se concentrar no que realmente impulsiona o desempenho;
Trazer à tona as oportunidades de crescimento que estão escondidas;
Entender e analisar os dados financeiros (especialmente para quem não é da área financeira);
Lidar com uma crise nas mídias sociais e sobreviver para contar a história;
Organizar o RH de um jeito novo e radical, permitindo que faça contribuições ainda maiores.
“Um olhar imparcial e abrangente sobre como ter sucesso nos negócios.” – Bill Gates
Afinal, por que algumas organizações prosperam enquanto outras não conseguem sequer manter os resultados? Como evitar ser passado para trás pela concorrência e como agir se isso acontecer? O que um líder precisa fazer para extrair paixão e alto rendimento da equipe, inclusive dos gênios cujo trabalho não entende, dos funcionários remotos que mal conhece e daqueles que estão sempre jogando contra o time?
Neste livro, Jack e Suzy Welch abordam a importância de transmitir a missão e os valores da empresa aos funcionários e incentivar as boas ideias entre seus colaboradores. Também analisam formas inovadoras de pensar sobre marketing e finanças e sugerem medidas realistas para lidar com as crises.
Eles apresentam um novo modelo de liderança, elaborado para dar conta das transformações das últimas décadas, descrevendo tudo o que você precisa para montar uma equipe campeã, cobrindo temas como contratação, motivação, retenção, trabalho remoto e mudanças geradas pelas novas tecnologias.
O MBA da vida real reúne tudo o que você precisa saber para:
Cultivar os comportamentos essenciais para uma liderança eficaz;
Formar uma equipe motivada que seja mais forte no conjunto do que na soma das partes;
Contratar profissionais brilhantes usando uma técnica que diminui as chances de erro;
Reinventar-se a fim de sair da estagnação na carreira e descobrir a sua Área de Destino;
Transmitir a missão e os valores da empresa para sua equipe;
Criar uma estratégia que não fique ultrapassada com o tempo;
Evitar uma rasteira da concorrência ou se recuperar de uma queda caso seja tarde demais;
Estimular o crescimento num ambiente desfavorável e incentivar as boas ideias entre todos;
Ir além da burocracia para se concentrar no que realmente impulsiona o desempenho;
Trazer à tona as oportunidades de crescimento que estão escondidas;
Entender e analisar os dados financeiros (especialmente para quem não é da área financeira);
Lidar com uma crise nas mídias sociais e sobreviver para contar a história;
Organizar o RH de um jeito novo e radical, permitindo que faça contribuições ainda maiores.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
338 people are currently reading
2151 people want to read
About the author
Jack Welch
43 books488 followersJohn Francis Welch Jr. was an American business executive, chemical engineer, and writer. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001.
When Welch retired from GE, he received a severance payment of $417 million, the largest such payment in business history up to that point. In 2006, Welch's net worth was estimated at $720 million.
When Welch retired from GE, he received a severance payment of $417 million, the largest such payment in business history up to that point. In 2006, Welch's net worth was estimated at $720 million.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
May 22, 2020
There's a place I don't expect to feed when I pick up a book hoping to pass on some insights to the business students I work with. It's the bigger-ideas place. It's the enthusiasm-for-more-than-functional-words place.
The Welches, delightfully, feed the functional and the almost anti-functional sides of my personality. The words, and the stories, and the principles they choose to elucidate radiate a comprehensive enthusiasm for life both at and away from the office.
The Welches, delightfully, feed the functional and the almost anti-functional sides of my personality. The words, and the stories, and the principles they choose to elucidate radiate a comprehensive enthusiasm for life both at and away from the office.
October 3, 2021
I am generally disappointed when I read trade/mass market business books. The experience is so common that I cannot attribute it to poor reading choices or inept/lazy authors, although there are some of those around. I think the issue goes deeper than that.
To start with, the unspoken goal of good business practices almost has to be that of combining people, resources, and activities to fit some situation so that the best results are obtained according to some chosen metric (costs, profits, stock price, etc.). Most business books and most advice from members of the guru profession boil down to this in some measure. I would love to hear the arguments against it.
This leads to problems with the advice-giving enterprise, however, as soon as one leaves the realm of one-on-one situation based settings, such as one gets in mentoring or consulting arrangements. When one tries to generalize about what to do in business, the problem arises that advice is general while the situations requiring advice are idiosyncratic. So in order to provide useful advice, it is necessary to abstract away from the details and provide help that will be useful across physical settings, industries, and even cultures. That tends to make the advice unhelpful or even worse. The major consulting firms are probably the best at this in their development of frameworks and position papers as a way of marketing their services to new clients without compromising existing clients too much.
The extreme form of this shows up in business books in what might be called "be smart management". The intellectual foundation of this is to redefine the problem in the form of a solution. So according to this, it is important to make good decisions (although what constitutes good is not known until afterwards). It is also important to act in a timely manner, but not to rush things -- even though the relevant time frame is seldom clear to most of the people involved. Similarly, it is important not to follow the crowd in acting, although in the same book it may also be claimed that managers need to follow industry "best practices". When this mode of thought gets to finance, you arrive at the classic formulation of "buy low, sell high". I will grant that there is some basis for all these statements. The issue is how to bring such desired states about, when to buy, when to sell, etc. Business books as a genre do not give answers to these questions that are substantive rather than tautological. Indeed, they cannot provide such answers, since if the authors knew the answers, it would be a legitimate question to ask why they were so willing to share their knowledge with the masses for a song.
This brings me to Jack and Suzy Welch's new book. The intent appears to be to provvide in a series of short chapters the basic insights for each of the major functional areas of business that MBA-type managers can be involved with. So, for example, the chapter on finance goes through some summary definitions of overall terms, variance analysis, and a comparison of profitability versus free cash flow measures of financial health. So much for finance! Other chapters discuss, leadership, alighment, marketing, managing difficult employees (various flavors), and the like. To justify his principles and recommendations, Jack and Suzy draw upon Mr. Welch's famed experience at the helm of GE, his post-GE experience in private equity, and their joint experience writing business columns and speaking with executives while out on the speaking/executive education circuit. The book is well written and even punchy and it is hard to take too much issue with the content, as far as it goes, which is not very far.
While the book suffers from genre-related issues, what I found more disconcerting was reading the books conclusions and then comparing them to the prior record of the principal author. The first book of Mr. Welch that I read was "Jack: Straight from the Gut". I remember exactly when I read it, since it came out for order on Amazon early on September 11, 2001. Welch's memoirs recounted how he led and supposedly saved GE by improving its planning and accountability siystems, instituting a tough up or out system for evaluating GE managers, streamlining the GE business portfolio, making stock price the central corporate metric, and the like. "Straight from the Gut" was a statement of the most notably corporate CEO of the time about how he ran the firm and became famous. The sense one gets from reading "The Everyday MBA" is that Welch is now cautioning managers to be nimble and flexible, not encumbered with bureaucratic requirements, and even to be more "entrepreneurial". If anything, this is arguing against the Jack Welch who ran GE and promoted GE Capital - which is now being separated from the firm.
So who is the reader supposed to follow - the Jack Welch who prospered as the super CEO at GE or the Jack Welch who is a writer of columns and a frequent visiter to CNBC? Careful readers can certainly sort out what is what, but why should that be necessary? As these books go, it was OK, but I expected more from these authors - or failing that a little bit of history. Mr. Welch might note his experience with private equity as a basis for some of the conclusions made in the book. It is not entirely clear, however, the degree to which private equity as an endeavor is appropriate for a book on general management perspectives. Yes, firms run by private equity are managed, but it is not clear that the configuration of goals and interests of all the parties is consistent with the ideas of alignment that lead off this book.
To start with, the unspoken goal of good business practices almost has to be that of combining people, resources, and activities to fit some situation so that the best results are obtained according to some chosen metric (costs, profits, stock price, etc.). Most business books and most advice from members of the guru profession boil down to this in some measure. I would love to hear the arguments against it.
This leads to problems with the advice-giving enterprise, however, as soon as one leaves the realm of one-on-one situation based settings, such as one gets in mentoring or consulting arrangements. When one tries to generalize about what to do in business, the problem arises that advice is general while the situations requiring advice are idiosyncratic. So in order to provide useful advice, it is necessary to abstract away from the details and provide help that will be useful across physical settings, industries, and even cultures. That tends to make the advice unhelpful or even worse. The major consulting firms are probably the best at this in their development of frameworks and position papers as a way of marketing their services to new clients without compromising existing clients too much.
The extreme form of this shows up in business books in what might be called "be smart management". The intellectual foundation of this is to redefine the problem in the form of a solution. So according to this, it is important to make good decisions (although what constitutes good is not known until afterwards). It is also important to act in a timely manner, but not to rush things -- even though the relevant time frame is seldom clear to most of the people involved. Similarly, it is important not to follow the crowd in acting, although in the same book it may also be claimed that managers need to follow industry "best practices". When this mode of thought gets to finance, you arrive at the classic formulation of "buy low, sell high". I will grant that there is some basis for all these statements. The issue is how to bring such desired states about, when to buy, when to sell, etc. Business books as a genre do not give answers to these questions that are substantive rather than tautological. Indeed, they cannot provide such answers, since if the authors knew the answers, it would be a legitimate question to ask why they were so willing to share their knowledge with the masses for a song.
This brings me to Jack and Suzy Welch's new book. The intent appears to be to provvide in a series of short chapters the basic insights for each of the major functional areas of business that MBA-type managers can be involved with. So, for example, the chapter on finance goes through some summary definitions of overall terms, variance analysis, and a comparison of profitability versus free cash flow measures of financial health. So much for finance! Other chapters discuss, leadership, alighment, marketing, managing difficult employees (various flavors), and the like. To justify his principles and recommendations, Jack and Suzy draw upon Mr. Welch's famed experience at the helm of GE, his post-GE experience in private equity, and their joint experience writing business columns and speaking with executives while out on the speaking/executive education circuit. The book is well written and even punchy and it is hard to take too much issue with the content, as far as it goes, which is not very far.
While the book suffers from genre-related issues, what I found more disconcerting was reading the books conclusions and then comparing them to the prior record of the principal author. The first book of Mr. Welch that I read was "Jack: Straight from the Gut". I remember exactly when I read it, since it came out for order on Amazon early on September 11, 2001. Welch's memoirs recounted how he led and supposedly saved GE by improving its planning and accountability siystems, instituting a tough up or out system for evaluating GE managers, streamlining the GE business portfolio, making stock price the central corporate metric, and the like. "Straight from the Gut" was a statement of the most notably corporate CEO of the time about how he ran the firm and became famous. The sense one gets from reading "The Everyday MBA" is that Welch is now cautioning managers to be nimble and flexible, not encumbered with bureaucratic requirements, and even to be more "entrepreneurial". If anything, this is arguing against the Jack Welch who ran GE and promoted GE Capital - which is now being separated from the firm.
So who is the reader supposed to follow - the Jack Welch who prospered as the super CEO at GE or the Jack Welch who is a writer of columns and a frequent visiter to CNBC? Careful readers can certainly sort out what is what, but why should that be necessary? As these books go, it was OK, but I expected more from these authors - or failing that a little bit of history. Mr. Welch might note his experience with private equity as a basis for some of the conclusions made in the book. It is not entirely clear, however, the degree to which private equity as an endeavor is appropriate for a book on general management perspectives. Yes, firms run by private equity are managed, but it is not clear that the configuration of goals and interests of all the parties is consistent with the ideas of alignment that lead off this book.
September 7, 2015
When wisdom speaks, do you listen? Jack Welch is one of the most respected CEOs of the 20th century. Any business leader who wants to succeed will consider what he has to say.
In one sense, this book helps promote the Jack Welch Management Institute MBA program. However, don’t think that it focuses on selling the benefits of that course.
The focus of The Real-Life MBA is on how to succeed in the business world of 2015.
The authors start by looking at why to treat running a business as a game, and the specific elements of winning that game.
Next, they look at how to lead and build wow teams.
They finish the book with career advice. This includes a section on how to become an entrepreneur so you can do what you love.
Despite his successful tenure as CEO, Jack Welch retired from GE in 2001. Are his views on leadership still relevant?
Welch does several things to make sure that he is.
The 79-year-old stays on top of tech and social media. Unless you do, you cease to be relevant to today’s marketplace.
He stays current with the realities of demands made on managers today. Two of these issues are managing employees who have specialised knowledge and virtual workers.
In essence, Welch stays relevant to add value.
This book is compulsory reading for business leaders. It is the best business book of 2015.
In one sense, this book helps promote the Jack Welch Management Institute MBA program. However, don’t think that it focuses on selling the benefits of that course.
The focus of The Real-Life MBA is on how to succeed in the business world of 2015.
The authors start by looking at why to treat running a business as a game, and the specific elements of winning that game.
Next, they look at how to lead and build wow teams.
They finish the book with career advice. This includes a section on how to become an entrepreneur so you can do what you love.
Despite his successful tenure as CEO, Jack Welch retired from GE in 2001. Are his views on leadership still relevant?
Welch does several things to make sure that he is.
The 79-year-old stays on top of tech and social media. Unless you do, you cease to be relevant to today’s marketplace.
He stays current with the realities of demands made on managers today. Two of these issues are managing employees who have specialised knowledge and virtual workers.
In essence, Welch stays relevant to add value.
This book is compulsory reading for business leaders. It is the best business book of 2015.
August 5, 2015
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!
Jack & Suzy Welch have years of corporate experience under their belts. The Real-Life MBA is filled with some of their best practices culled from this background. Some of it I found helpful, other suggestions I didn't enjoy as much, but I think that this may be because I'm coming from a non-profit career track rather than a cut-throat, competitive one.
Let's get the negative out of the way first. Mr. Welch is well known for his practice of sorting his employees into tiered groups- the top 20%, the middle 70%, and the bottom 10%. If you are in the bottom 10% and you don't improve within a certain amount of time, he promptly and tactfully assists you in finding new employment. Now, I understand that there needs to be a balance when applying the carrot and the stick in business relationships. It just seems harsh. Welch insists that this system is more fair to the employer and employee- if you're a bad fit, you're not doing anyone any favors by sticking around. On the other hand, your business will always have a bottom %10. There will always be the shadow of that looming ax. I suppose that this could lend itself to an environment of continual growth, but I feel like it would be more motivated by fear than love. And, really, who wants that. I liked the vision of organizational structure that was presented in Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration by Leonard Kelly. I think that creativity, trust, safe environments for occasional failures, and career success go hand in hand. By encouraging an "ensemble" rather than a "team" mindset and fostering collaboration rather than a score board, I suspect that one would see just as excellent receipts with less turnover and a closer team bond. I haven't tested this theory though and Mr. Welch does have forty or fifty more years business experience than me, so take it with a grain of salt. But, that's my two cents.
I liked the section on career development: It's About You, starting on page 177. Most of it is just common sense advice, but it's still solid. Do what you love to do and don't waste your time in a career you hate. We spend most of our time at work so we may as well be happy when we're there- it's the fuel of success, etc. So, no big surprises, but sometimes the most useful and applicable advice isn't surprising.
If you enjoyed The Real-Life MBA, I'd recommend Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration by Leonard Kelly to give you a slightly different viewpoint on teamwork and Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock so that you can read about HR practices inside one of the most successful and employee friendly companies on the planet.
Jack & Suzy Welch have years of corporate experience under their belts. The Real-Life MBA is filled with some of their best practices culled from this background. Some of it I found helpful, other suggestions I didn't enjoy as much, but I think that this may be because I'm coming from a non-profit career track rather than a cut-throat, competitive one.
Let's get the negative out of the way first. Mr. Welch is well known for his practice of sorting his employees into tiered groups- the top 20%, the middle 70%, and the bottom 10%. If you are in the bottom 10% and you don't improve within a certain amount of time, he promptly and tactfully assists you in finding new employment. Now, I understand that there needs to be a balance when applying the carrot and the stick in business relationships. It just seems harsh. Welch insists that this system is more fair to the employer and employee- if you're a bad fit, you're not doing anyone any favors by sticking around. On the other hand, your business will always have a bottom %10. There will always be the shadow of that looming ax. I suppose that this could lend itself to an environment of continual growth, but I feel like it would be more motivated by fear than love. And, really, who wants that. I liked the vision of organizational structure that was presented in Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration by Leonard Kelly. I think that creativity, trust, safe environments for occasional failures, and career success go hand in hand. By encouraging an "ensemble" rather than a "team" mindset and fostering collaboration rather than a score board, I suspect that one would see just as excellent receipts with less turnover and a closer team bond. I haven't tested this theory though and Mr. Welch does have forty or fifty more years business experience than me, so take it with a grain of salt. But, that's my two cents.
I liked the section on career development: It's About You, starting on page 177. Most of it is just common sense advice, but it's still solid. Do what you love to do and don't waste your time in a career you hate. We spend most of our time at work so we may as well be happy when we're there- it's the fuel of success, etc. So, no big surprises, but sometimes the most useful and applicable advice isn't surprising.
If you enjoyed The Real-Life MBA, I'd recommend Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration by Leonard Kelly to give you a slightly different viewpoint on teamwork and Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock so that you can read about HR practices inside one of the most successful and employee friendly companies on the planet.
September 12, 2021
Джек Велч звичайно великий менеджер. Але менеджер і письменник - це дві різні позиції. Абсолютно ні про що книга. Починаючи з назви. Яку ідею хотів донести автор? Здається, що просто видавець сказав авторам, що треба нову книжку. Після таких книг з'являється відраза до бізнес-літератури. Жодного корисного інсайту
July 16, 2019
The Real-Life MBA is an enjoyable and easy read, with numerous points of actionable advice from start to finish. I've been able to take numerous tips from this book and implement them in my own career.
The book also helped reinforce ideas I had on business which in turn has given me confidence in implementing them.
The book also helped reinforce ideas I had on business which in turn has given me confidence in implementing them.
June 26, 2016
A lot of the old same old same old for these type of leadership books. It doesn't mean it isn't good insight and this is definitely a pretty practical, easy to read book but I've read so many of these type of business books that I look for some new insights and I found very few here. The Welch's help business leaders find ways to make their employees more productive and/or know when it is time to change tactics. Surprisingly - the chapters I liked best were the ones that discussed when both employer and employee may need to move on either by firing or looking elsewhere. A thriving business needs to have involved, creative, committed employees and the employer needs to be the one to generate that enthusiasm and that does take special skills - a number of which are discussed throughout this book. But I read this about 4 days ago and already I can't remember any particular points. Good general overview of the realities of business emphasizing employer/employee behaviors but there are a lot of other books on the market that also encourage these practices.
June 16, 2015
I received this book as an ARC from Goodreads. That said, I was looking forward to reading this because of its authors. Jack Welch, CEO icon from GE and his wife, Suzy Welch, a legitimate partner and author in her own right. Having my own MBA many moons ago, and my own success as a known equity analyst on Wall Street, I was interested to read the book from the perspective of my own college students. I teach Business Law, Finance and Management. The book is simply written, fast paced and shares many anecdotal stories from many different businesses. For example, how the Under Armour management used social media with US speed skating team and their design was blamed for poor performance of the skaters. The information is interesting but somewhat simplistic for anyone to learn how learn how to build a team and grow their career. I kept looking for more depth especially in areas of social media, beyond crisis management.
May 6, 2015
No, this is not a book in lieu of an actual MBA degree. However, if you are thinking about obtaining a degree, or need a refresher about how to apply its principles, Jack and Suzy Welch have written a practical, easy-to-read digest of information that scratches the surface of the degree program. It has a breadth of information but not a lot of depth.
What they manage to do in this one volume is give practical information about every type of course that is taught at an MBA level - from leadership, finance, ethics to global economics and human resources. Again, scratches the surface but doesn't go into depth. If you are beginning an MBA program and want to take a 10,000-foot view of what a program covers, this would be a good starting point.
What they manage to do in this one volume is give practical information about every type of course that is taught at an MBA level - from leadership, finance, ethics to global economics and human resources. Again, scratches the surface but doesn't go into depth. If you are beginning an MBA program and want to take a 10,000-foot view of what a program covers, this would be a good starting point.
April 11, 2016
beginning with alignment at work and in goals to the end of one's career, this book covers many real time situations in a business scenario. Citing examples from real life it effectively presents how challenges manifest themselves in the business and how one overcomes them.
The only problem with the book would be that it is not clear whom the book is addressed to(the exact set of audience). But it also means it can be read by anyone and one is likely to find things one can relate to. All in all a good read from two very experienced persons. The embedded video in the ebook version are really interactive and take the book to a whole new level of interaction between the writer and the reader.
The only problem with the book would be that it is not clear whom the book is addressed to(the exact set of audience). But it also means it can be read by anyone and one is likely to find things one can relate to. All in all a good read from two very experienced persons. The embedded video in the ebook version are really interactive and take the book to a whole new level of interaction between the writer and the reader.
June 1, 2015
I received this book free from Good Reads.
Author Jack Welch is a former CEO of GE and retired. He is more than qualified to write this book, as is his wife, Suzy.
I am an individual with lots of work experience and a BA. I found the book rather long and boring in parts and, frankly, did not really learn too much from it. To me, it seemed to be lots of common sense, which, perhaps, many college kids today do not have?
The book isn't something to read on the beach or particularly enjoyable. Perhaps young people will learn from it.
Author Jack Welch is a former CEO of GE and retired. He is more than qualified to write this book, as is his wife, Suzy.
I am an individual with lots of work experience and a BA. I found the book rather long and boring in parts and, frankly, did not really learn too much from it. To me, it seemed to be lots of common sense, which, perhaps, many college kids today do not have?
The book isn't something to read on the beach or particularly enjoyable. Perhaps young people will learn from it.
October 6, 2015
This book started off a bit slow compared to "Winning". However, as it went on, I felt the advice better, sounder and the cases more interesting. You could say, the second half of the book is better than the first from my personal point of view. The title is unfortunate. I don't know what MBA has to do with a book like this other the Welch's desire to promote his online MBA. It is mentioned many times throughout the book- many times needlessly- and at times it feels like a commercial. Still, it is over all a business book I enjoyed and learned from. I guess that is what counts.
April 11, 2015
Good but not great. That's the simplest description I can muster for Welch's latest book. I found myself nodding my head often as he and his wife describe the key ingredients to organizational and individual success, but there weren't enough novel/thought-provoking concepts to get me excited.
Read
May 14, 2025O livro "O MBA da Vida Real" de Jack Welch e Suzy Welch oferece uma abordagem prática e inspiradora sobre liderança, gestão e desenvolvimento pessoal, fundamentada em experiências reais e conceitos de negócios aplicados ao cotidiano. A obra destaca a importância de aprender continuamente, adaptar-se às mudanças do mercado e alinhar a missão da organização com a conduta de seus colaboradores para alcançar o sucesso sustentável.
Principais temas abordados no livro:
1. Mudanças no cenário empresarial: Os autores ressaltam que o ambiente de negócios está em constante evolução, exigindo que líderes e equipes estejam sempre atualizados e abertos ao aprendizado.
2. Missão clara e conduta alinhada: Destaca-se a necessidade de uma missão inspiradora e de uma cultura organizacional que reflita valores e comportamentos consistentes, promovendo confiança e colaboração.
3. Liderança de equipes campeãs: São apresentadas estratégias para contratar, motivar e reter talentos, bem como a importância de uma liderança empática, comunicativa e presente. Exemplos de empresas que transformaram suas culturas através de missões inspiradoras reforçam essa ideia.
4. Remoção de obstáculos: A metáfora do curling é utilizada para ilustrar que líderes devem eliminar burocracias e processos que travam a inovação, promovendo um ambiente de criatividade e crescimento.
5. Generosidade e diversão no trabalho: Líderes eficazes compartilham responsabilidades, celebram o sucesso e criam ambientes de trabalho positivos e motivadores, mesmo em tempos difíceis.
6. Resiliência diante de crises: O livro mostra que crises podem ser momentos de virada, onde a coragem, a clareza e a redefinição de estratégias, baseadas em dados e indicadores, levam à recuperação e ao crescimento.
7. Ferramentas estratégicas: Apresenta a metodologia “cinco slides” para revisões rápidas e eficazes, além da necessidade de reavaliar a estrutura organizacional e alocar talentos nas áreas estratégicas, como tecnologia e gerenciamento de riscos.
8. Cultura de inovação e crescimento: Destaca a importância de incentivar pequenas melhorias contínuas, celebrar avanços e manter o foco na diferenciação pelo valor agregado ao cliente.
9. Gestão de riscos globais e parcerias: Aborda a importância de diversificação de fornecedores, adaptação cultural e ética nos negócios internacionais, exemplificando com casos da Disney e empresas de joint ventures.
10. Entendimento financeiro: Enfatiza que entender conceitos básicos de finanças — fluxo de caixa, demonstrações financeiras e análise de variância — é fundamental para decisões informadas e estratégia de crescimento.
11. Marketing adaptado ao cenário atual: Os autores reforçam que o produto, preço, distribuição, promoção e relacionamento (os 5 P's) precisam ser constantemente ajustados às novas tecnologias e comportamentos do consumidor, com exemplos de campanhas inovadoras e estratégias B2B colaborativas.
12. Gestão de crises e comunicação: A transparência, honestidade e preparação para lidar com más notícias são essenciais. A liderança deve buscar a verdade, construir confiança e agir rapidamente para proteger a reputação da organização.
13. Autoconhecimento e evolução profissional: O livro incentiva a reflexão sobre o propósito, talentos e interesses pessoais, promovendo mudanças de carreira, reinvenções após crises ou aposentadoria, sempre com foco no crescimento pessoal e profissional.
14. Resiliência e reinvenção: Histórias de pessoas que superaram dificuldades, mudaram de rota ou começaram novos projetos após eventos adversos ilustram que nunca é tarde para recomeçar e buscar realizações.
Mensagem central: A obra reforça que o sucesso no mundo dos negócios e na vida depende do compromisso com o aprendizado contínuo, a liderança genuína, a busca pela verdade e a capacidade de se adaptar às mudanças. Liderar com propósito, empatia e transparência cria organizações mais fortes, resilientes e inovadoras, capazes de transformar obstáculos em oportunidades.
Principais temas abordados no livro:
1. Mudanças no cenário empresarial: Os autores ressaltam que o ambiente de negócios está em constante evolução, exigindo que líderes e equipes estejam sempre atualizados e abertos ao aprendizado.
2. Missão clara e conduta alinhada: Destaca-se a necessidade de uma missão inspiradora e de uma cultura organizacional que reflita valores e comportamentos consistentes, promovendo confiança e colaboração.
3. Liderança de equipes campeãs: São apresentadas estratégias para contratar, motivar e reter talentos, bem como a importância de uma liderança empática, comunicativa e presente. Exemplos de empresas que transformaram suas culturas através de missões inspiradoras reforçam essa ideia.
4. Remoção de obstáculos: A metáfora do curling é utilizada para ilustrar que líderes devem eliminar burocracias e processos que travam a inovação, promovendo um ambiente de criatividade e crescimento.
5. Generosidade e diversão no trabalho: Líderes eficazes compartilham responsabilidades, celebram o sucesso e criam ambientes de trabalho positivos e motivadores, mesmo em tempos difíceis.
6. Resiliência diante de crises: O livro mostra que crises podem ser momentos de virada, onde a coragem, a clareza e a redefinição de estratégias, baseadas em dados e indicadores, levam à recuperação e ao crescimento.
7. Ferramentas estratégicas: Apresenta a metodologia “cinco slides” para revisões rápidas e eficazes, além da necessidade de reavaliar a estrutura organizacional e alocar talentos nas áreas estratégicas, como tecnologia e gerenciamento de riscos.
8. Cultura de inovação e crescimento: Destaca a importância de incentivar pequenas melhorias contínuas, celebrar avanços e manter o foco na diferenciação pelo valor agregado ao cliente.
9. Gestão de riscos globais e parcerias: Aborda a importância de diversificação de fornecedores, adaptação cultural e ética nos negócios internacionais, exemplificando com casos da Disney e empresas de joint ventures.
10. Entendimento financeiro: Enfatiza que entender conceitos básicos de finanças — fluxo de caixa, demonstrações financeiras e análise de variância — é fundamental para decisões informadas e estratégia de crescimento.
11. Marketing adaptado ao cenário atual: Os autores reforçam que o produto, preço, distribuição, promoção e relacionamento (os 5 P's) precisam ser constantemente ajustados às novas tecnologias e comportamentos do consumidor, com exemplos de campanhas inovadoras e estratégias B2B colaborativas.
12. Gestão de crises e comunicação: A transparência, honestidade e preparação para lidar com más notícias são essenciais. A liderança deve buscar a verdade, construir confiança e agir rapidamente para proteger a reputação da organização.
13. Autoconhecimento e evolução profissional: O livro incentiva a reflexão sobre o propósito, talentos e interesses pessoais, promovendo mudanças de carreira, reinvenções após crises ou aposentadoria, sempre com foco no crescimento pessoal e profissional.
14. Resiliência e reinvenção: Histórias de pessoas que superaram dificuldades, mudaram de rota ou começaram novos projetos após eventos adversos ilustram que nunca é tarde para recomeçar e buscar realizações.
Mensagem central: A obra reforça que o sucesso no mundo dos negócios e na vida depende do compromisso com o aprendizado contínuo, a liderança genuína, a busca pela verdade e a capacidade de se adaptar às mudanças. Liderar com propósito, empatia e transparência cria organizações mais fortes, resilientes e inovadoras, capazes de transformar obstáculos em oportunidades.
January 17, 2024
"The Real-Life MBA: Your No-BS Guide to Winning the Game, Building a Team, and Growing Your Career" is a down-to-earth playbook that cuts through the corporate jargon, offering real-world strategies for success. As someone navigating the complexities of the business world, this book resonated with me, providing practical insights without the usual business-speak.
The authors' straightforward and no-nonsense approach immediately drew me in. This isn't your typical business guide filled with buzzwords and abstract theories; it's a practical manual that feels like advice from seasoned mentors. I appreciated the authors' commitment to demystifying the game of business and offering tangible strategies that can be applied in any career.
One of the book's strengths is its focus on actionable advice. Each chapter provides practical takeaways that can be implemented immediately. The authors don't just talk about theories; they provide real-world examples and case studies that make the concepts come alive. It's like having a roadmap for success without the unnecessary complexity.
The structure of the book is logical and easy to follow, with each section addressing a crucial aspect of career growth and team building. The writing style is engaging, with a conversational tone that makes complex business concepts accessible. The inclusion of anecdotes and insights from the authors' own experiences adds authenticity and makes the book relatable.
The language used is clear and free from unnecessary jargon, making it suitable for readers at various stages of their careers. The authors avoid the trap of speaking in abstract terms and instead focus on providing practical wisdom that can be applied by anyone, whether they're just starting or looking to climb the corporate ladder.
In conclusion, "The Real-Life MBA" is a must-read for those seeking practical advice on navigating the business world and growing their careers. Whether you're a recent graduate entering the workforce or a seasoned professional aiming for leadership roles, this book offers a no-BS guide to winning the game. The authors' genuine and relatable approach makes it a valuable resource for anyone ready to take charge of their career path.
The authors' straightforward and no-nonsense approach immediately drew me in. This isn't your typical business guide filled with buzzwords and abstract theories; it's a practical manual that feels like advice from seasoned mentors. I appreciated the authors' commitment to demystifying the game of business and offering tangible strategies that can be applied in any career.
One of the book's strengths is its focus on actionable advice. Each chapter provides practical takeaways that can be implemented immediately. The authors don't just talk about theories; they provide real-world examples and case studies that make the concepts come alive. It's like having a roadmap for success without the unnecessary complexity.
The structure of the book is logical and easy to follow, with each section addressing a crucial aspect of career growth and team building. The writing style is engaging, with a conversational tone that makes complex business concepts accessible. The inclusion of anecdotes and insights from the authors' own experiences adds authenticity and makes the book relatable.
The language used is clear and free from unnecessary jargon, making it suitable for readers at various stages of their careers. The authors avoid the trap of speaking in abstract terms and instead focus on providing practical wisdom that can be applied by anyone, whether they're just starting or looking to climb the corporate ladder.
In conclusion, "The Real-Life MBA" is a must-read for those seeking practical advice on navigating the business world and growing their careers. Whether you're a recent graduate entering the workforce or a seasoned professional aiming for leadership roles, this book offers a no-BS guide to winning the game. The authors' genuine and relatable approach makes it a valuable resource for anyone ready to take charge of their career path.
October 1, 2017
Jack & Suzy Welch combine their experience to produce a boiler plate book on business.
The book is well written and the advice is easy to follow. This book combines together simple business insights along with real world examples. Nothing in this book was surprising.
However, the title is confusing because MBA is not a focal point in this book. The MBA title seems more like a promotion of Welch's online MBA program.
A few of my random observations are in the spoiler:
The book is well written and the advice is easy to follow. This book combines together simple business insights along with real world examples. Nothing in this book was surprising.
However, the title is confusing because MBA is not a focal point in this book. The MBA title seems more like a promotion of Welch's online MBA program.
A few of my random observations are in the spoiler:
April 10, 2022
On Second Thought
My impressions of this book after my first reading were unfavorable. I had such high expectations. Maybe the title did not capture the content. Maybe the writing style was too causal.
Something convinced me to give this book a second try. I am glad I did.
The authors claim they've served up everything they know about competition and strategy, globalization and growth, finance and marketing. They further claim they provided us with their best thinking on leading with truth-seeking and trust-building as our beacons, creating a "wow team," managing what they call the "geniuses, tramps, and thieves" that make work, particularly interesting. They help us think about what we should make of our career, how to advance in it, and how make sure it never really ends after retirement.
I do NOT believe they have told us "everything they know" about these subjects. I do however, think they provided us with gems of wisdom on these topics. Some of these gems, if put to work, can vastly improve your career and help you to better live a more meaningful life. For that reason, the book is worthwhile.
My impressions of this book after my first reading were unfavorable. I had such high expectations. Maybe the title did not capture the content. Maybe the writing style was too causal.
Something convinced me to give this book a second try. I am glad I did.
The authors claim they've served up everything they know about competition and strategy, globalization and growth, finance and marketing. They further claim they provided us with their best thinking on leading with truth-seeking and trust-building as our beacons, creating a "wow team," managing what they call the "geniuses, tramps, and thieves" that make work, particularly interesting. They help us think about what we should make of our career, how to advance in it, and how make sure it never really ends after retirement.
I do NOT believe they have told us "everything they know" about these subjects. I do however, think they provided us with gems of wisdom on these topics. Some of these gems, if put to work, can vastly improve your career and help you to better live a more meaningful life. For that reason, the book is worthwhile.
October 21, 2021
Overall, I enjoyed this book but I can understand some of the criticism thrown its way. Overall, I felt Jack and Suzy Welch give very solid advice on how to enjoy the job you do, climb the corporate ladder and get the most out of your career while also understanding that a path like this isn't for everyone. I also thought the advice on how to add value to your company without selling your soul was pretty solid.. While other advice may not be the most easiest to hear, it overall rings true. However, I often felt the authors failed to give any truly original advice that hasn't been covered elsewhere or expanded upon better in other books. Yet, I overlooked this fact simply because the authors came off as wanting to help others, unlike most semi-autobiographical business books which seek only to glorify a company or person and in more and more cases increase their social media clout. Here the Welch's do dive into their success, if only to give themselves the necessary creditability while also offering their own unique if sometimes cliché thoughts.
December 12, 2017
Bilal Ekşi'nin nazik bir hediyesi olarak elime geçen kitabı okudukça neden THY gibi inovasyonda koşmanın zorunluğu olduğu bir pazarda faaliyet gösteren şirketin yayınlarına bu kitabı dahil ettiğini anlayacaksınız.
Stoacıların duyguya yaklaşımını kariyere yönelten kitap, tüm sorumluluğu üzerinize almanın gerekliliği üzerine inşa edilerek, birçok güncel paradigmayı sadece eleştirmiyor, hemen ardından çözüm önerisiyle de tamamlıyor.
Esasında bir iş kitabı olmaktan çıkıp, kişisel gelişim hatta felsefeye dahi dokunan "Gerçek hayatta MBA" ktabından en yüksek verimi alabilmek için ciddi bir iç görü kabiliyeti gerekiyor. Doğan Cüceloğlunun deyimiyle "mış gibi" yöneticiler için bu oldukça zorlu olacaktır ama eğer kendinize bir nebze de olsa objektif bakabilmeyi başarıyorsanız Welch takımının bu kitabı tam bir altın madeni. Sadece iş değil özel hayatta da oldukça güzel tavsiyeleri olan bir İsviçre çakıcısı adeta.
Stoacıların duyguya yaklaşımını kariyere yönelten kitap, tüm sorumluluğu üzerinize almanın gerekliliği üzerine inşa edilerek, birçok güncel paradigmayı sadece eleştirmiyor, hemen ardından çözüm önerisiyle de tamamlıyor.
Esasında bir iş kitabı olmaktan çıkıp, kişisel gelişim hatta felsefeye dahi dokunan "Gerçek hayatta MBA" ktabından en yüksek verimi alabilmek için ciddi bir iç görü kabiliyeti gerekiyor. Doğan Cüceloğlunun deyimiyle "mış gibi" yöneticiler için bu oldukça zorlu olacaktır ama eğer kendinize bir nebze de olsa objektif bakabilmeyi başarıyorsanız Welch takımının bu kitabı tam bir altın madeni. Sadece iş değil özel hayatta da oldukça güzel tavsiyeleri olan bir İsviçre çakıcısı adeta.
October 20, 2017
Ambitious title for very generic content.
I'm grading "Good" because you can't just read something by Jack Welch and not at least change your view of something. However, if we pay proper attention to the environment around us, it's easy to realize in most companies (especially the big ones), office politics often play a bigger role than competence - and that's exactly what came to my mind when I read the title referring to understanding the "rules of the game".
It's actually a lot less metaphoric than one would think, and this goes over business management 101. Wouldn't recommend it for people with a business degree such as myself, but rather for those graduated from other fields of knowledge that are amidst career progression.
I'm grading "Good" because you can't just read something by Jack Welch and not at least change your view of something. However, if we pay proper attention to the environment around us, it's easy to realize in most companies (especially the big ones), office politics often play a bigger role than competence - and that's exactly what came to my mind when I read the title referring to understanding the "rules of the game".
It's actually a lot less metaphoric than one would think, and this goes over business management 101. Wouldn't recommend it for people with a business degree such as myself, but rather for those graduated from other fields of knowledge that are amidst career progression.
February 9, 2020
I had this book for quite a while and it took me longer than usual to get through. I didn't have the ability to absorb the context in the way where I was able to relate. I decided to pick it up and press forward and finish it.
With that said, the book is very helpful. I definitely like the context and the support the Book provides. The book provides context that generates an uplifted sense of self - encouragement and determination to fulfill the endeavored goals in which a person has been "working" towards.
This book definitely gave me a sense of renewed hope. Though, I am afraid that this "hope" I generated from this book, would be sabotaged because of how the forces of Life are in the current economic system. Definitely a perspective I've learned and focused on in this book.
With that said, the book is very helpful. I definitely like the context and the support the Book provides. The book provides context that generates an uplifted sense of self - encouragement and determination to fulfill the endeavored goals in which a person has been "working" towards.
This book definitely gave me a sense of renewed hope. Though, I am afraid that this "hope" I generated from this book, would be sabotaged because of how the forces of Life are in the current economic system. Definitely a perspective I've learned and focused on in this book.
January 28, 2018
The expository dialogue of Jack and Suzy Welch focused on their own development since becoming founders of the MBA program at Jack Welch Management Institute. I found the message that "business is a team sport" reassuring of understanding that book was focused on the soft skills of an MBA career, particularly in the area of reinventing oneself as the means to separate from the long-held positional role upon entry of the next phase within the career arc. The lesson I take away from reading composition is to value "employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow" in that precise order, yet gracefully let go of people who are not having fun so they can move along to other employment.
June 3, 2018
This book is an update of "Winning" by Jack Welch. This version it is adapted more to the entrepreneurs that want to start a business or that are just getting started with some practical examples of how to do an evaluation talk with an employee, or how to treat the difficult ones. It also reminds all the principles from the first book, but doesn't explain them in depth.
I liked more "Winning" because I felt it was written more "from the gut", for all the managers that need to get ahead of the competition and want to have better teams and do a better job in their positions. Also, all the notions were more well explained in Winning.
I liked more "Winning" because I felt it was written more "from the gut", for all the managers that need to get ahead of the competition and want to have better teams and do a better job in their positions. Also, all the notions were more well explained in Winning.
August 4, 2020
Conversation on business
This book is very well written and easy to read. It expounds upon the various things you should know when working in a corporate environment and why those things are important (financial statements, risk management, Human Resources). It talks about your most important resource-people- and how you can keep them, build trust, etc. And it tells you why it’s important to learn all of these things. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really tell you how to do those things well in any depth. But, I suppose that now that you have your list of items that are important, you can look for books and classes that provide a more in-depth exploration of each.
This book is very well written and easy to read. It expounds upon the various things you should know when working in a corporate environment and why those things are important (financial statements, risk management, Human Resources). It talks about your most important resource-people- and how you can keep them, build trust, etc. And it tells you why it’s important to learn all of these things. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really tell you how to do those things well in any depth. But, I suppose that now that you have your list of items that are important, you can look for books and classes that provide a more in-depth exploration of each.
November 20, 2017
A worthwhile book for those who seek to continuously improve their business acumen.
Jack and Suzy go through a number of business personality types, business crises, and how teamwork is best able to conquer problems that arise in a competitive business world.
Perhaps the best is saved for last as they explain how you can improve your own "Brand" as you navigate your business career.
A good, steady read. Remarkably smooth page tuning.
Jack and Suzy go through a number of business personality types, business crises, and how teamwork is best able to conquer problems that arise in a competitive business world.
Perhaps the best is saved for last as they explain how you can improve your own "Brand" as you navigate your business career.
A good, steady read. Remarkably smooth page tuning.
April 30, 2020
The Real-Life MBA, is a business masterpiece from the iconic former CEO of GE, Jack Welch, who was named by Fortune Magazine “Manager of the Century”. He co-wrote this book with his wife Suzy Welch. They drew on their experiences over the past decades providing actionable advice and lessons about winning the business game, building a wow team, finding your “Area of Destiny” and how you can create a great life and have fun.
May 20, 2018
Ви керуєте бізнесом? Вам потрібна Правда. Працюєте на компанію? Вам потрібна Правда. Ви маєте говорити правду і очікувати, що почуєте її у відповідь. Ось і основне правило бізнесу. Як вийти з глухого кар'єри, що робити на пенсії і як почуватись краще на будь-якій точці вашого трудового шляху. Легко читати, і було б добре так само легко впроваджувати поради в життя :)
July 8, 2017
Too bad more leaders don't follow this common sensical guide to success. It seems so straight forward when you read about it, and yet we can all pull many examples from our own history where this advice is flatly ignored.
February 3, 2018
chapter 11 on AoD Are of Destiny was exceptional. This is the idea that your work should be the intersection of what you love and what you are good at.
Lots of useful leadership principles and business working acumen.
Lots of useful leadership principles and business working acumen.
April 17, 2018
This book is a mini introductory guide to business. It has more or less advice of most functions that you need to get involved if you run a business. I would definitely recommend it to people who are interested in business.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews