Chapter 7, Dealing with Reality and "Superficial Congeniality" Summary and Analysis

Jack finally has the job. Outside, he is cocky, self-assured, decisive, quick, and tough. Inside, he is not as self-confident as he appears. He realizes he does not have many of the external CEO skills necessary to deal with government and the media. Over the years, government has become more involved in business, but Jack rarely deals with anyone from Washington, DC, and his only media experience has been his introduction by Reg Jones at the scripted press conference.

The only thing Jack is sure of, is what he wants GE to be. He wants to change the image from strong and steady, to fast, agile, and quickly adaptable to external changes. His vision is spontaneity and creativity. He does not want to script presentations or waste...