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Book's Description
The measure of the executive, Peter Drucker reminds us, is the ability to 'get the right things done'. Usually this involves doing what other people have overlooked, as well as avoiding what is unproductive.
He identifies five talents as essential to effectiveness, and these can be learned; in fact, they must be learned just as scales must be mastered by every piano student regardless of his natural gifts. Intelligence, imagination and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that convert these into results.
One of the talents is the management of time. Another is choosing what to contribute to the particular organization. A third is knowing where and how to apply your strength to best effect. Fourth is setting up the right priorities. And all of them must be knitted together by effective decision-making.
How these can be developed forms the main body of the book. The author ranges widely through the annals of business and government to demonstrate the distinctive skill of the executive. He turns familiar experience upside down to see it in new perspective. The book is full of surprises, with its fresh insights into old and seemingly trite situations. --This text refers to the Paperback edition
Customer Reviews
Excellent book on management skills ,27/05/2008
Very good book on the true management skills required by any and every manager. Drucker clearly points out that not all great managers were created the same....but most share certain traits. An excellent, must read for any and all managers everywhere!
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Definitely a classic, an avante garde of its time but after 40 years of evolution ....... ,17/09/2006
many bright ideas in the book had been further developed, elaborated and marketed.
To me, the author is the topmost management guru ever. His ideas in this 1966 book, say, "First Thing First" (now seemingly to be originated from Stephen Covey, what a shame), time management through task prioritization, systematization of the decision making process, being effective by getting the right things done etc etc simply form the skeleton of contemporary self/business management thoughts. However, I had rated it with four star for two reasons. First, the great concepts put forth by the author were just too good to be put in one single 174 page book. He could elaborate further on any one of them. Second, the examples adopted in the revised version were still those historical cases near the WWI, the WWII and the Vietnamese War era. Some may like that but I find them too remote and aged to relate to.
Afterall, it's still a very good book for any executive (somebody expected to get the right things done, per the author) or executive to be. Recommended, but not on the top ten priority list if you have already read more than five self management/improvement books!
Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.
Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual; they fail to realize that the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learnt that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work. pg 1
Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results. By themselves, they only set limits to what can be attainted. pg 2
Every knowledge worker in modern organisation is an executive if, by virtue of his position or knowledge, he is responsible for a contribution that materially affects the capacity of the organization to perform and to obtain results.....In a guerrilla war, every man is an "e
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Not Just For Executives: With a Little Translation, This Book's Wisdom Can Be Applied to A Variety Of Life Circumstances ,30/04/2008
Peter Drucker was such a prolific and important writer, thinker, researcher, teacher, and philosopher! Although he is best known a the father of modern management theory, I find that his ideas are applicable to a wide variety of positions and enterprises.
The Effective Executive, like most of his works, is written with the assumption that the reader is part of an institution and needs to learn to function within the challenges of the corporate environment. I have never had a traditional job or position in a large institution, but can totally relate to the challenges of what Drucker refers to as executives and knowledge workers.
As a professional musician and holistic music teacher ([...]), I have worked to integrate the creative, intuitive sides of human nature with the organizational, rational aspects, both for myself and my clients.
Like many artists, I was never taught the principals of management and have had to adapt and educate myself along the way. I owe a lot to Peter Drucker for helping me make sense of the nature of effectiveness and management.
Drucker's wisdom transcends culture and industry. Just the acknowledgement that effectiveness is a skill in-and-of-itself, apart from intelligence, talent, charisma, or creativity, is a powerful distinction. His encouragement that it can be (and must be) learned is a relief!
His 5 basic practices for effective executives are invaluable insights. Here they are, paraphrased:
1) Be aware of and manage your time
2) Focus on results, not efforts
3) Play to and develop strengths, not weaknesses (yours and others')
4) Concentrate and align your actions and your purpose
5) Learn to make good decisions
The examples in the book are a bit old-school, but the principles still hold true. Thank you, Peter, for putting into words what so many of us were never taught at home or in school!
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Dated, but timeless ,14/05/2008
If you can get past the testosterone-soaked prose--with many references to the military and no references to women in the workforce--you'll find some timeless principles related to managing time, cultivating strengths rather than fixating on weaknesses, and focusing on the bottom-line contribution.
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Very Effective! ,03/04/2008
Peter Drucker wrote this book back in 1966 and it is as pertinent today as it was then. It concentrates on a small number of practices to help executives manage themselves - a precursor to managing others. Drucker makes the point that, "No one is born an effective executive. No one is a natural... It must be learned...In addition, it is not exceedingly difficult." That's welcome news for all of us. We simply need to follow the practices outlined in this book.
The book is meant for a wide audience as Drucker's definition of the executive is broad - "Anyone that is responsible for a contribution that materially affects the capacity of the organization to perform and to obtain results."
The first step on the journey is to "know thy time." Too many managers have no idea where they spend there time. Drucker recommends managers start by recording their time to discover where it is being spent. Once identified, they need to stop wasting time on things that are not important and then work to consolidate freed time into chunks. Significant blocks of time of 2 hours or so are needed to complete important things.
Next executives must ask of themselves, "What can I contribute that will significantly affect the performance and results of the organization." This helps the manager look outward and to identify and prioritize those tasks that are most important to complete.
Then the managers should do the first things first and do them one at a time. "The secret of those people who do so many things and apparently so many difficult things is that they do only one thing at a time. As a result, they need much less time in the end than the rest of us."
Finally, Drucker outlines how to make effective decisions. He craftily breaks down the elements of the decision process and explains how managers can improve in this discipline.
The book is filled with examples and supporting information. Drucker writes in
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Content Review ,24/10/2008
If you have an interest in nonprofit organizations and governance, I highly recommend this book. It provides theory and application of tools that can be utilized in any organization. Easy to read and to apply.
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True Drucker ,21/07/2007
Trust Drucker to give you the best info on management.
Kishore Dharmarajan
Author of Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers
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Drucker ,24/04/2007
IF you only read one management book in your life.
This is it.
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Truly one of the great classics ,06/02/2007
One of my favorite authors is Peter F. Drucker. I recently re-read his book, "The Effective Executive â" The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done" (this plays perfectly into my theme of time leadership. Leadership is the working on the right things versus Management which is doing things right.) Effectiveness is more important than efficiency.
According to Peter Drucker, effective executives follow the same eight practices:
They asked, "What needs to be done?"
They asked, "What is right for the enterpise?"
They developed action plans.
They took responsibility for decisions.
They took responsibility for communicating.
They were focused on opportunities rather than problems
They ran productive meetings.
They thought and said "we" rather than âaeIâ.
I particularly liked his view on taking responsibility for decisions.
"A decision has not been made until people know:
The name of the person accountble for carrying it out;
The deadline; the names of the people who will be affected by the decision and therefore have to know about, understand, and approve it â" or at least not be strongly opposed to it; The names of the people who have to be informed of the decision, even if they are not directly affected by it."
"Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results. By themselves, they only set limits to what can be attained."
I could continue regurgitating and typing most of the book; however, I think it is such an excellent book that you should read it yourself.
Because I have been swamped lately, I resonated with one of his comments which was executives' time tend to belong to everybody else. Of course I blog about time management so part of time management is to figure out how to get control of time even though according to Drucker
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Timeless, practical advice, immediately implementable ,22/10/2008
In this short book are some of the most trenchant, clearly-written statements on how to be an effective executive ever written. It contains some philosophical statements, more real-world examples, and most importantly, it details actions the executive can take to become immediately effective. I wish I had read this 20 years ago!
Other books like Good To Great and Built To Last are excellent, too, but are more strategic. This is the tactical book, beautifully and concisely written. If you want to be effective, buy this book now. It is brilliant.
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Great Book ,09/10/2007
I have read everything Drucker has published. This one is as good as all the others.
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This is the best book on "Leadership" even after 40 years ,21/07/2008
Skip all the "hype" about leadership theory. Drucker is the king. Years since this book was written - it is all about Executive Effectiveness. Well isn't that the same as "leadership" but just without all the hype? You bet. Buy and read this and burn your leadership mental masturbation books.
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Long lasting advice for novice managers ,04/05/2008
Excellent advice from a incredible coach. From time management to management contribution this book offers what you need to achieve management positions. A must.
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Among Peter Drucker's Best ,17/02/2008
In the spring of 1980, I spent a full day with Peter Drucker.
He then made a full-day presentation at the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles. I made sure to arrive early
so I could sit front row, center. I spent a stimulating day
listening and watching as "the master" spoke on the subject of
managerial effectiveness.
Drucker, a true renaissance man, supported his points with
examples from the worlds of business, government, sports, music
and war.
In "The Effective Executive," Drucker likewise draws on his broad
knowledge. He writes that, to be effective, an executive (whom he
defines as any knowledge worker responsible for making decisions) must master five specific skills...
-- Managing time
-- Choosing what to contribute
-- Mobilizing strength
-- Setting the right priorities
-- Making the right decisions
About managing time, Drucker offers that the effective executive
eliminates time-wasting activities and consolidates time spent on
important projects.
On choosing what to contribute to the organization, he tells that
the effective executive asks "What can I contribute to
significantly affect the performance and results of this
organization"? And he stays focused on results rather than on
efforts.
Regarding the subject of mobilizing strength, Drucker councils
executives to hire and manage people with an emphasis on their
strengths rather than concern about their weaknesses. And
he advises executives to discover and mobilize their own
individual working style.
About setting the right priorities, he offers two important
thoughts. First, "It is more important to convert an opportunity
into results than to solve a problem -- which only restores the
equilibrium of yesterday." And second, "Concentration -
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The Effective Executive Book Review ,22/08/2008
I am still reading this book; there are so many insights that I find myself highlighting and writing them down; then I go back to review them over and over. For the person who wants to be an Effective Executive or just an effective individual I would recommend you read this book. You can just read this book you have to put the information into practice. It is a text book for the effective leader in you. You will go back to it over and over again to ensure you are doing the right things to become more effective.
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Getting the Right Things Done vs. Doing Things Right ,06/09/2007
The breadth of Drucker's knowledge and insights never cease to amaze me, and goes to reinforce my perception - as well as that of many others - that he is, in fact, "the founding father of the science of management." That's the reason I quoted him seven times - on seven different management topics - in by book, The Three Pillars of Sustainable Profit & Growth The Three Pillars of Sustainable Profit and Growth.
The essence of The Effective Executive is this: not too long ago, the business community was essentially engaged in manufacturing where the need was for efficiency - the ability to do things right.
As our business world evolved into service and science-oriented enterprises, employees became "knowledge workers" as opposed to "manual workers." Thus, a whole new set of executive qualifications were required - the key one being effectiveness - the ability to get the right things done.
He goes on to point out that intelligence, knowledge and imagination are common in most executives, and they were the primary qualities needed when our business world was engaged in manufacturing and manual workers. However, with the emergence of the service/science-oriented business world and the knowledge worker, these same qualities appear to have little correlation with an executive's effectiveness. Today's business world needs executives who can get the right things done.
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Finally, an actual executive handbook! ,10/06/2007
Fantastic overview of the skills on which an executive should focus and how to acquire those skills. I've been looking for something like this for quite a while. Ranks with Good to Great and Tipping Point as one of my favorite books in the lst 5 years.
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If you have one shelf for books, this should be on it. ,08/07/2008
If you're looking for concise, simple dialogue on what it means to be effective and how to parlay that into your work life, here it is. If you are looking for a fashionable, faddy, flashy Seth-Godin-type mantra to chant, you will be vastly disappointed and fantastically bored.
To those who are serious students of business and it's execution and are willing to do what it takes to be leaders, this is one of probably 3-5 books on the required reading list. Read through it quickly at your own peril, for amazing gems are buried mid-paragraph in the most seemingly innocuous paragraphs.
Now for the love of effectiveness, please buy, read and apply this to yourself so I don't have to do business with you sloths anymore!
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Vital tool ,07/02/2007
This is a fantastic book. It is written in an old-school style that is somewhat hard to get through.....but the messages are very clear. This book totally changes the way you think about your role in an organization - regardless of your rank or profession. It's definitely a book you should read at least twice.
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