GE: imagination at work

Progress Reports: Bill Lane

“The Great Listener”

As the years piled up and the twilight gathered around him in California, we didn’t see much of him — hardly ANY of him, before his death.

Nancy Reagan, however, who obviously loved him, and cared for him, as the curtain began to come down; did confide to a General Electric executive, who accompanied him on his endless visits to GE manufacturing sites during his long association with the Company — that “GE is still Ronnie’s favorite company.”

We treasure that — even though almost all of us who are now part of GE never met him; and those who were close to him, during that period of the mid-fifties to early-sixties, are, like him, no longer with us.

But we celebrate his life, as the centennial of his birth approaches, and the long association he had with, and his love for, our Company.

There is obviously a public relations dimension for a company to do anything like this — the media, the scholarships, sites like this; but there is no political dimension. None. We just want to do it; to honor a great man and an old friend, as the hundredth anniversary of his birthday approaches.

Mr. Reagan’s GE period was during his forties and early fifties (1954-1962), when he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild — a union — and was enjoying a distinctly apolitical period of his life fulfilling a role in which he described himself, with self-deprecating charm, as “The Errol Flynn of the ‘B’ movies.” Most of our employees, and those who visit this site, have probably never heard of Errol Flynn; or know what a “B movie” was.

Not important. For those who want a brief taste, a few snippets of “Bedtime For Bonzo” — which the President would have chuckled at; and described as a “C” or “D” movie — will suffice.

Ronald Reagan was the host of “The GE Theater;” and acted, as well, in several of the shows.

Ralph Cordiner, President of GE at the time, told one of his “public relations” managers, “I want to meet him. I hear so much about him at every cocktail party — from women, especially.”

And he did meet him, and the GE–Reagan association grew. And, out of the association, grew “The Great Communicator.”

But, at GE, he was, first, “The Great Listener.”

He traveled, with enthusiasm and a real pleasure, to every GE manufacturing location: Aircraft Engines at Lynn and Cincinnati; Lighting at Nela Park in Cleveland; Power Systems (turbine generators) in Schenectady; Appliance Park in Louisville; locomotives in Erie, Pa. — and more. The whole circuit.

GE paid him, of course, but he loved it. And it showed.

At every Company manufacturing location he asked the same kinds of questions; and found himself getting the same responses: “We want better educations for our children than we had.”

“We want our kids to do better in life than we are doing.” “We get paid — sure; but would like to feel we are appreciated more.”

Reagan listened; and he paid attention; and he never condescended; and he cared about what was being said, and the people that were saying it.

And they could sense that.

And from that questioning — and listening — came what came to be known as “The Speech:” an appeal to American dreams, and desires, and aspirations. And it came, not from “think tanks,” or “focus groups” — but from listening to the men and women of GE.

Ronald Reagan loved people, and they sensed it in his presence. Even those who didn’t buy the politics and philosophy that evolved many years after his time with our Company, were charmed by him.

“Tip” O’Neill, Speaker of the House, and Reagan’s political polar opposite, were “pals.” Jack Welch, years later, described a private birthday dinner for the President, when he was a new CEO, as one of the highlights of his life.

Because Reagan listened to you; and cared about what you had to say. If he liked you, you knew it instantly. If he didn’t, you never knew it. Maybe HE never knew it.

He brought the Soviet Union down; and the collapse of “Mr. Gorbachev’s” Wall, in Germany. But, in a speech honoring Jack Welch as “CEO of the Year,” years later, it was obvious he clearly LIKED Gorbachev. “Just let me tell you one more story. Gorbachev told me on the last day of the summit…”

After he left the podium, he was practically tackled by Jack Welch’s speechwriter and his wife. “We named our daughter after you! We spell it R-e-g-a-n; not quite like yours.”

“Really? Thanks. Your way is the RIGHT way to spell it. My way is a Germanic corruption of the Irish“…(and on-and-on for a minute or two, as important people tugged at his sleeve; while two ordinary people, who were the focus of his undivided attention, stored up memories that will last forever.

GE, in his years with us, taught Ronald Reagan the yearnings people have for our relatively short lives.

Two decades ago we had an initiative at GE, called “Work Out,” which actually was fun, and did a lot of good for the Company. It involved getting a bunch of people around — people who “did stuff,” rather than “big shots” (managers) — although “big shots” were present; kicking things around, and figuring out how they might be done better.

It would be a stretch to attribute that to Ronald Reagan. But we did learn from him — as he did from us.

We think — we hope — he may have taught us HOW TO LISTEN.

Bill Lane with his daughter, Regan

Bill Lane joined GE as a speechwriter in 1980, after seven years at the Pentagon. From 1982 to 2001, he was Manager, Executive Communications, for GE, and Jack Welch’s speechwriter. Bill’s daughter Regan, an NBC employee, is named after President Reagan.