The November issue of Harvard Business Review celebrates the centenary of the birth of the management guru Peter Drucker, pointing out that the knowledge he shared during his lifetime is still very relevant to various situations the world finds itself in today.
Discussing the continuing relevance of the Drucker perspective, Rosabeth Moss Kanter says: "Heeding the wisdom of Peter Drucker might have helped us avoid - and will help us solve - numerous challenges plaguing communities around the world: restoring trust in business in the wake of accounting scandals and the global financial crisis; attracting and motivating the best talent without creating crippling financial commitments...
"If Peter Drucker were here today, what would he have to say about such pressing matters? His first comment might be "I told you so" - and he would have every right to say that."
Drucker, who died in 2005, predicted many of the key business developments of modern times, including the current outrage over executive pay and the challenge to America's position as the dominant global economic force.
Kanter speculates on the advice Drucker might give to the business leaders of today. For instance, he might recommend:
* Self-regulation in order to avoid overregulation by government
* Coming together to reform the compensation system
* Professionalization of boards of directors
* Thinking beyond sovereignty to solve environmental problems
Kanter's article is also sprinkled with Drucker's words of wisdom published in HBR over the years, including:
"Nonprofits need management even more than business does, precisely because they lack the discipline of the bottom line." (What Business Can Learn From Nonprofits, HBR July-August 1989)
"If I put a person into a job and he or she does not perform, I have made a mistake. I have no business blaming that person." (How To Make People Decisions, HBR July-August 1985)
"Asking 'What is right for the enterprise?' does not guarantee that the right decision will be made. Even the most brilliant executive is human and thus prone to mistakes and prejudices. But failure to ask the question virtually guarantees the wrong decision." (What Makes An Effective Executive, HBR June 2004)
Kanter concludes: "Drucker was not a revolutionary. He merely asked that we constantly challenge assumptions," and points out that the great man would remind us that long-term vision is critical to leading through turbulent times.
What Would Peter Say?
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business Review, November 2009
