Analyzing the Impact of a CEO's Legacy on Business Practices

The legacy of CEO Jack Welch has shifted the perception of what makes a great CEO from building a successful and sustainable company to focusing solely on increasing numbers. As a result, executives are now more concerned with making the company look good on paper, even if it means bending the rules to achieve growth. This obsession with boosting stock prices has led to the rise of CEOs who prioritize numbers over efficacy, leading to a culture where success is measured by financial metrics rather than actual value creation. Welch's legacy has contributed to the emergence of executives who lack appreciation for labor, the product, or the company itself, and demand blind loyalty from employees. This mindset has spread across generations of business leaders, poisoning both private and public companies. The tech industry, in particular, has been greatly impacted by Welch's growth-at-all-costs approach, giving rise to management consultants who prioritize extracting value without creating anything of real substance. This trend is exemplified in Silicon Valley, where individuals are abstracting themselves from value creation, ultimately leading to the destruction of the industry.