What Made Jack Welch Jack Welch

Some people - George Bush comes to mind - are born on third base but go through life thinking they hit a triple. And it's true that no matter where you go there are always some people who by dint of family and wealth wind up on top almost as a fait accompli. But what about the rest of us, the people from ordinary backgrounds who look in the mirror and say, "This can't be all there is. What do I do to break out of the pack and make it?" What's surprising are the large number of people making it to the top who come from ordinary everyday backgrounds. Jack Welch - and people like him - are very smart, very talented and very, very successful. But there are tens of thousands at least as smart and talented. What was it about this son of a railroad conductor and stay-at-home mother that enabled him to go so far? More importantly what can others learn from Welch and others like him? Stephen Baum has looked in depth at the lives of ordinary people who became extraordinary leaders. What made these men and women who and what they are, for better or worse? How did they become so effective, operating as strong leaders with the ability to command the corporate ship and crew? Stephen Baum's role as advisor and confidante to many highly successful people has given him an unusual opportunity to look deep into the lives of successful people