Winning by Jack Welch

Warren Buffett has said that he is a better investor because he is a business man and a better business man because he is an investor. If you are looking to improve your results, especially if your primary investment consists of a family business or closely held enterprise - no matter its size, whether we're talking about a corner bakery or a sprawling operation with multiple factories or retail stores - your results could be helped substantially by taking time out of your life to read and enjoy Winning by Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric. Talk about a guy that knows how to get things done! It's just exciting to see someone so passionate about the right things - he's improved the lives of countless employees, shareholders, and through leading by example, the business community at large. Find a manager like Jack Welch in a business with good economics, and you are going to have one fantastic investment on your hands provided you pay a fair price.

Not only am I going to apply some of his concepts to the businesses under my control, but I'm also going to add a few things to the qualitative considerations that weigh in on my stock purchases. He understands the power of corporate culture and how mixing the wrong values in a so-called "merger of equals" can destroy shareholder value and make the employees miserable. This goes one step beyond basic business school. Read it. You won't regret it.