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Leaders on Leadership: Peter Drucker

I have chosen Peter Drucker for this episode recognizing that much of his work was in the area of management as opposed to leadership. I view it as critical for leaders to master management principles and practices so that they can effectively lead while functioning as a manager of the managers reporting to them.

Here is some background information on Drucker:

Peter Drucker is widely regarded as the father of modern management. He was a prolific author, educator, and consultant whose insights transformed how organizations approach leadership and business strategy. He taught at New York University and later at Claremont Graduate University, where the business school now bears his name.

Drucker’s work emphasized a human-centered approach to management, focusing on the responsibilities of managers not only to maximize productivity but also to foster a positive work environment. He stressed the importance of decentralized decision-making, innovation, and the value of knowledge workers—terms and concepts that he pioneered. Drucker’s ideas profoundly influenced both the private and public sectors and earned him accolades worldwide, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Notable Quotations:

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

This emphasizes the value of understanding non-verbal cues and the underlying sentiments in interactions, which is crucial for effective leadership. In an earlier blog, I mentioned that displaying arrogance, even via  your body language, can be a major career blocker. Watch for it in others and don’t transmit it through your own body language.

“What gets measured gets managed.”

Drucker points out that establishing metrics is vital for accountability and improvement in any organization, pushing leaders to define success through quantifiable measures. As a leader, be sure to regularly monitor results against quantifiable objectives.

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

This short statement clearly articulates the important distinction between management (focused on efficiency) and leadership (focused on vision and purpose).

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Drucker stresses the proactive role leaders must take in shaping outcomes rather than merely reacting to circumstances.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently what should not be done at all.”

This quote serves as a reminder that efficiency is meaningless without purpose, highlighting the need for leaders to prioritize the right tasks. Be ready to cut your losses by terminating unnecessary tasks or processes. It might even mean exiting unprofitable businesses or eliminating low margin products and services.

“Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.”

This is my favorite Drucker quote. It emphasizes that leadership is about serving others and being accountable, rather than enjoying authority or status.

“The purpose of an organization is to enable ordinary human beings to do extraordinary things.”

Drucker highlights the transformative potential of effective organizations in empowering individuals to excel beyond their perceived limits.

2 Responses

  1. One of the most valuable writings from Peter Drucker is “The essensce of management is the productive use of strengths..” He aslo goes on to write in a Harvard Business article, “Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong. More often, people know what they are not good at—and even then more people are wrong than right. And yet, a person can perform only from strength. One cannot build performance on weaknesses, let alone on something one cannot do at all.” I would add to this that weaknesses are often the flip side of a strength. For example, a person whose strength is out of the box-creative thinking would need to learn how to manage that strength when the job is to implement something exactly as layed out. here are a few more examples: The highly detailed person needs to understand when not to be detailed; the highly analytical person needs to know when to stop analyzing when a decisiuion needs to be made quickly. Point is, strengths in the right context need to be built upon, but in the wrong context those same strengths can become a wekness that need to be effectively managed.

  2. All are excellent points. Sadly I wonder his many of the under 40s have ever read him or perhaps even heard of him ?
    Self absorption must decline
    Thanks

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