THE EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE

THE EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE

Peter F Drucker


TO BEeffective is the job of the executive. To effect and to execute are, after all, near-synonyms . Yet men of high effectiveness are conspicuous by their absence in executive jobs. High intelligence is common enough among executives. Imagination is far from rare. The level of knowledge tends to be high. But there seems to be little correlation between a mans effectiveness and his intelligence, his imagination or his knowledge. Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual ; they fail to realise that the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learned that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work. Conversely, in every organisation there are some highly effective plodders.
While others rush around in the frenzy and busyness which very bright people so often confuse with creativity , the plodder puts one foot in front of the other and gets there like the tortoise in the old fable. 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. One reason for this neglect is that effectiveness is the specific technology of the knowledge worker within an organisation . Until recently, there was no more than a handful of these around. Formerly, the manual worker whether machine operator or front-line soldier predominated in an organisation . Few people of effectiveness were needed.