Like Jack, too, he has developed his own guidelines to evaluate new business opportunities and acquisitions. They make for a smart and sensible checklist on their own. Jeff said he likes businesses that:
He cited GE's jet engine business as an example of this, in which the company sells directly to airlines. Lightbulbs, on the other hand, tend to get sold through intermediaries. "You want a business that's tough?" Jeff asked the audience at Dartmouth. "Try selling light bulbs to Wal-Mart."
Since taking over GE just days before Sept. 11, 2001, it's been a tough haul. Jeff has been confronted with terrorism, war, recession, and an economy in a long malaise. But I'm betting on this remarkable leader, not merely because of how well he's performed against these major challenges. But because of the confidence, the intelligence, and the open leadership style that I saw close up in the conference room that once belonged to Jack.
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