Preface

I have many clients, partners, colleagues and friends who prefer English language to German. So for all of you I made this contribution.

Peter Drucker

In my opinion Peter Drucker is one of the most important management thinkers. Not only because he was born in Vienna (Austria) but because he is the “father of management”. His most important idea for management practice is the „effective executive“. Being effective is the “magic word” for every manager and executive. In my management courses and workshops Peter Drucker’s idea of “being effective” is the quintessence.

Peter Drucker defined a simple yet powerful set of characteristics of effective leaders.

Drucker emphasizes the importance of focusing the executive’s work load to avoid wasting time on non-essential matters.

The Effective Executive

Every effective executive follows eight simple practices:

1. They ask „What needs to be done?“
2. They ask „What is right for the enterprise?“
3. They develop action plans
4. They take responsibility for decisions
5. They take responsibility for communicating
6. They are focused on opportunities rather than problems
7. They run productive meetings
8. They think and say „we“ rather than „I“

If you think about current business practice. Where can you find effective executives? Are you an effective executive?

Further reading

Drucker, P.F.: The Effective Executive.

Christian Pirker on Management