Page 150 - The Way to the Top

President of GE Asset Management in 1996, and I was selected to succeed
him.

In 1977, however, I had just returned from three years in Italy working

for a GE subsidiary. Dale was the Chief Financial Officer for all of GE’s
international businesses, and he offered me a position as Manager–
Business Analysis, reporting directly to him. There was only one catch to
the job offer. I had to shave my mustache, cut my hair, and get rid of the

cowboy boots before coming to work. I readily accepted, and Dale and I
quickly developed a close and candid business and personal relationship.

Dale was an aggressive, motivated leader with great business instincts
and he always encouraged an open dialogue with the people who worked

for him. His tough, gruff exterior was intimidating, and he was nicknamed
“The Bear” by the organization. He was proud of the nickname and
thought it stood for Grizzly Bear, but I always felt it was more like Teddy
Bear because of his deep compassion and sensitivity for the people who
worked for him.

Shortly after I began, we debated the pros and cons of a new business
policy Dale wanted to implement across the international organization. I
was on one side of the issue and Dale was on the other. We debated it
between ourselves, tempers flared as they sometimes did, and Dale finally

made his decision and overruled my objections. He was the boss and that
was that. Next subject.

The following week, we held a meeting with all the regional division
CFOs and Dale asked me to present the new policy. I started out explaining
the policy but soon was lost in a free-for-all as the division CFOs also

disagreed with it, making many of the same points I had made to Dale
privately the week earlier. Finally, I acknowledged that I really agreed with
them and that I didn’t think the policy change was a good idea. The

discussion continued until finally Dale stepped in and said he heard and
understood the disagreements but that he had made his decision and it was
final—we would go forward with the new policy.