* This is a compilation of quotes sourced from the internet
Jeffrey Robert “Jeff” Immelt is an American business executive. He is currently the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the U.S.-based conglomerate General Electric. He was selected by GE’s Board of Directors in 2000 to replace Jack Welch following his retirement. Previously, Immelt had headed up GE’s Medical Systems division (now known as GE Healthcare) as its President and CEO.
On L
eadership | Leadership is an intense journey into yourself. You can use your own style to get anything done. It’s about being self-aware. Every morning, I look in the mirror and say, ‘I could have done three things better yesterday.’
On My Love For Working With Customers | I love working with customers. Sales has really influenced everything I do. It has instilled in me the important traits of operating with a sense of urgency and listening to people.
On An Ever – Growing Family | The one thing that people don’t get about GE is that, to the people who work here, it’s not a company. It’s not just a job. You feel like you’re part of a 120-year-old ever-growing, ever-improving family.
On Being A Leader | September 11 was horrific, but I’ve been through enough crises before that I had my own pattern as to how to collect facts, what a leader should do, how to communicate with people, how to set up operating mechanisms to work our way through it.
Lesson I Have Learnt | I have learned that nothing is certain except for the need to have strong risk management, a lot of cash, the willingness to invest even when the future is unclear, and great people.
On There Is No Real Magic To Being A Good Leader | There is no real magic to being a good leader. But at the end of every week, you have to spend your time around the things that are really important: setting priorities, measuring outcomes, and rewarding them.
My Highlights | When I was a young guy, when I first started with G.E., Jack Welch sent us all to Japan because in those days Japan was gonna crush us. And we learned a lot about Japan when we were there. But over the subsequent 30 years, the Japanese companies all fell behind. And the reason why they fell behind is because they didn’t globalize.
On Business Leaders | Business leaders should provide expertise in service of our country. My predecessors at GE have done so, as have leaders of many other great American companies.
On Thinking Like A Complete Globalist | I’m a complete globalist. I think like a global CEO. But I’m an American. I run an American company. But in order for GE to be successful in the coming years, I’ve gotta sell my products in every corner of the world.
On Running A Big Company | I think that if you run a big company, you’ve got to, four or five times a year, just say, ‘Hey team, look, here’s where we’re going.’ If you do it 10 times, nobody wants to work for you. If you do it zero times, you have anarchy.
On Leadership Skills | Every leader needs to clearly explain the top three things the organization is working on. If you can’t, then you’re not leading well.
