Peter F. Drucker is widely regarded as the father of modern management, the man who brought rigorous thinking to the practice of running organizations and leavened it with a healthy dose of humanity. Two of his most enduring articles, “Managing Oneself” and “What Makes an Effective Executive,” are presented here, together for the first time.
These two classics present two sides of the same coin: first, how to manage yourself to be more focused and productive, and second, how to manage others to help them weed out unnecessary distractions and tasks.
The first is increasingly important as each of us becomes solely responsible for the trajectory of our ever-longer careers. Human resources and talent development are largely absent from most of our lives, which means each of us is responsible for managing what will likely be a long and varied career. The keys? Cultivate a deep understanding of yourself by identifying your most valuable strengths and your most intractable weaknesses; articulate how you learn and work with others and what your most deeply held values are; and describe the type of work environment where you can make the greatest contribution.
Only when you operate with a combination of your strengths and a disciplined self-knowledge can you achieve true and lasting excellence. “Managing Oneself” identifies the questions you need to ask yourself to gain the insights essential for taking charge of your career.
The second—being effective as an executive—is an organizational necessity. Without knowing where to spend your time and efforts and how to help others, you cannot expect to successfully run a business or nonprofit. Drucker provides a framework that shows you how to focus on tasks that are imperative, that only you can do. Effective executives follow the same eight practices: They ask, “What needs to be done?” They ask, “What is right for the enterprise?” They develop action plans. They take responsibility for decisions. They take responsibility for communicating. They focus on opportunities rather than problems. They run productive meetings. And they think and say “we” rather than “I.”
The first two practices provide you with the knowledge you need to lead. The next four help you convert this knowledge into effective action. The last two ensure that the whole organization feels responsible and accountable.
Whether you’re managing yourself or others, Drucker’s timeless wisdom will help you discover knowledge and convert that knowledge into practical and useful action.