Tom and Jack: two alfadogs…

We have holidays coming up on both sides of the border, so I thought I would keep this one light. I checked Tom Peters’ blog last week, just to see what he’s up to lately. His book, In Search of Excellence, was a huge hit back in the ‘80s, though the book didn’t age as well as Mr. Peters’ reputation. He’s still considered an über-consultant, just as Jack Welch has been called the über-manager of the twentieth century. I noticed something else when I checked Mr. Peters’ blog: the great consulting alfadog is no friend of the great CEO alfadog, Jack Welch. Who knew?

Mr. Peters’ post “MBA Musings” had this to say, writing about a Financial Times article regarding a new oath for MBA students: ”Some of this seems to follow not only the financial crisis, but the famous/infamous recent Jack Welch disclaimer. Welch, father-patron saint-cheerleader-haranguer-in-chief of the ubiquitous ‘shareholder value movement,’ recently dissed the primacy of shareholder value as ‘the dumbest idea in the world.’ Presumably dismissing as scurrilous the primary thing you stood for in your widely heralded career does not tarnish your reputation (Welch was just reported as starting an online B-school); to me, it makes the former GE icon a self-anointed laughingstock.”

That’s adjective-rich, pretty personal and a bit funny too.

I did a little research and found that the feud may go way back when Mr. Welch became CEO at General Electric. GE was one of only a few clients Mr. Peters dropped. Janet Lowe’s book, Jack Welch Speaks: Wit and Wisdom of the World’s Greatest Business Leader, describes their early relationship: “Insiders said Welch and Peters became ‘mutually disillusioned’ with one another. Mr. Peters once called Welch’s style ‘management by fear.’” To be fair, there have been a few examples of Mr. Peters praising (except for the vision thing) Mr. Welch’s accomplishment, as in this Fast Company article:

“When we think of Welch, we do not ordinarily think vision. (What is GE’s vision? I haven’t a clue! “We bring good things to life” ain’t it.) We do think rigorous performance standards, empowerment (“WorkOut” in GE-speak), leadership, and talent development. Jack Welch, it turns out, is a great manager (see rule #1). But great managers are the bedrock of great organizations. To save you searching for rule #1, here it is: “1. Leaders on snorting steeds (the visionary greats!) are important.”

And there is a tacit acknowledgement of the great CEO’s achievements: “I say ‘Get radical!’ That’s one thing. But then I show a quote from Jack Welch, who, after all, ran a $150 billion company (I didn’t): ‘You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner; you’ve got to be out there on the lunatic fringe.’ Suddenly my radicalism is ‘certified’ by a ‘real operator.’”

I searched in vain for anything Mr. Welch said about Mr. Peters. If you find anything, please let me know. In the meantime, happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians and happy Independence Day to my American friends!