Welch spreads business gospel from MIT pulpit

Amid stories of his successes, Welch doesn't overlook ill-chosen acquisitions and other setbacks from his 41-year career at GE.

"This is a guy who's succeeded, but he also failed, and he doesn't mind saying it," said Ashley Prisant, 28-year-old former Navy officer who someday hopes to manage a product distribution center.

If there's any negative about the class, it's Welch's large personality, Ben-Shahar said.

"It's quite intimidating to sit in class with Jack Welch," Ben-Shahar said.

The 30 students — including six mid-career students like Scearce — were winnowed down from 96 applicants who submitted resumes and wrote essays. The class is offered on a pass-fail basis.

Teaching outside the classroom is nothing new to Welch, a frequent lecturer to business leaders and students around the world. His goal is "to give students real practical stuff that they could go out when they leave here and use — not just theoretical stuff," Welch said.

"I hope I have enough wisdom here to impart," Welch told The Associated Press during an interview after one recent class. "Some of it they will throw away. Some of it they will think, 'It's not all perfect.' It worked for me, it might not work for them. But I believe in this system."

When Sloan School of Management Dean Richard Schmalensee approached Welch last spring about exposing students to real-world management lessons, Welch quickly agreed. He receives no compensation from MIT to teach, but sees the class as a way to gain insight from tomorrow's business leaders.

"A lot of these questions they ask may make it in some of the articles I write," he said. The Welchs co-author a regular column on management in Business Week magazine.

MIT isn't Welch's only recent move into education. He also delivers lectures at schools such as Salem State College, on Boston's North Shore.

And Welch is crossing over into sports and television. Last spring, he began appearing on the regional cable channel as a regular commentator on the Boston Red Sox.

"I have a fan's knowledge, not an expert's knowledge," Welch said.

He's noncommittal about whether he may continue teaching at MIT after his current assignment.

"I don't know about that, but this is a kick for now," he said.