Jack Welch

What if one person could remake a giant company and change how whole industries work? Meet Jack Welch. Jack Welch (1935–2020) led General Electric (GE) from 1981 to 2001. He was like a coach for a huge team: he wanted GE to be the fastest, smartest, and strongest company possible.

His single most important idea was to make every part of GE a top player. If a business in GE wasn't first or second in its market, he'd fix it, sell it, or close it. He wanted every team to truly earn its place.

He also introduced strict performance reviews and pushed managers to measure results. He championed Six Sigma, a simple-sounding method to cut mistakes and save money. During his time as boss, GE's market value grew from about $12 billion to around $410 billion.

Why does this matter? Because his ways of running a company—clear goals, careful measuring, and stopping what didn't work—were copied by many other businesses. Some people praised him for big improvements; others said his rules could be too hard on workers. Jack Welch changed how modern companies are led, and people still study his ideas today.