Jack Welch on Pursuing your Passion

At Strayer University, we work with some truly outstanding leaders who exemplify success and serve as stellar role models for our students. One of our relationships is with Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric (GE), and one of the most respected and celebrated business leaders in the world.

Known as much for his love of teaching and coaching as for his tenacity, success, and passion, Jack Welch partnered with Strayer University to deliver an MBA and Executive Certificate programs through the Jack Welch Management Institute (JWMI). JWMI programs are designed by Jack Welch and centered on his proven business practices and immediately actionable methods for winning.

If you’re in need of some motivation, these five quotes from Jack will change the way you think about success.

“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”

Success is about taking control of your life and finding the path to realizing your vision. Controlling your life means you make the decisions that steer your path to get to where you need to be to succeed.

If success for you lies inside an elementary school classroom, controlling your destiny may mean making the decision to pursue your Master’s in Education, which could possibly give you a competitive edge in the education job market. If your idea of success includes being self-employed, work towards your dream by pursuing a Master of Business Administration that can give you the acumen to start your own business.

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Jack Welch trained more than 35 CEOs at today’s top companies. In nurturing passion and vision, he encouraged some of the world’s finest business leaders to own their ideas from start to finish. In business, and in every discipline, if you have a vision—for yourself, your team, or your company—you should be the champion of that vision. Do you have an idea for a new proposal? Are you managing a group of people and hoping to take your team in a new direction?

The key to success is perseverance because nobody will fight for your dreams harder than you. Great leaders, thinkers, and dreamers take charge of their own visions and carry them to realization.

“I’ve learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.”

You can’t be afraid of failure. We’ve all experienced setbacks, and they are as much a part of the experience as the accomplishments. Instead of letting mistakes deter you, learn how to recover from setbacks. Process them, accept them, and turn them into learning experiences. Perhaps you didn’t get that one position you interviewed for. What can you do differently next time?

Turning your mistakes into learning experiences not only keeps you focused and on track, but it can also provide invaluable insight into how to improve going forward.

“Change before you have to.”

Change is inevitable. You might change positions within your company, or switch careers altogether. However, there’s a big difference between leaving a job because of a layoff and leaving of your own volition. Circumstances change all the time, but you don’t have to fall victim to those beyond your control.

Always have the next step of your journey in mind. If you have enrolled in an MBA program, think about what the degree means for your career. Are you looking for a promotion in your current company, or to pursue a new career? How can you start preparing for this next step now to stay ahead of the curve? Always be prepared to respond to change.

“Winning is about reaching the destination you choose.”

Choosing your destination, like controlling your destiny, is one of the ultimate measures of success. Every step you take on your journey—every accomplishment that brings you towards your goal—is its own success. You should learn to recognize the success in everything you do—not just measure it against the end goal. However, it is the decision itself that makes you a success. Identifying what you want for your life and choosing to arrive at that goal is an incredible achievement.

It is imperative that the goal you reach be the one you’ve chosen for yourself. Returning to school to jump start a new career, or change a career you have been in for a while, for example, is a journey you should take pride in, but the degree at the end of that journey is something to celebrate as well. Winning is about visualizing your life and transforming it into an actuality.

Jack Welch has spent his career developing leaders. Those who study at the Jack Welch Management Institute can learn his singular business insights and apply them at work immediately. Learn from these words of wisdom and begin identifying and pursuing your passion today. Visit jackwelch.strayer.edu to see how the Jack Welch Management Institute can help you.

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