Business Management Productivity

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done (Summary)

by Peter F. Drucker

What if the first step to becoming wildly productive wasn't a new to-do list, a fancy app, or waking up at 5 a.m.? What if it was simply to carry a small notepad and, for three weeks, write down everything you do and how long it takes? Peter Drucker argues that until you confront the brutal reality of where your time—your single most limited resource—actually goes, every other effort at effectiveness is doomed to fail.

Know Thy Time

Effectiveness begins with a stark, honest understanding of how your time is actually spent, not how you think it is. The only way to achieve this is to meticulously log your time and then ruthlessly prune non-productive activities.

A company chairman was convinced his time was spent on strategic planning and important client meetings. After his assistant logged his activities for a few weeks, he was shocked to discover he spent most of his time on trivial operational issues and mediating minor disputes—tasks that should have been delegated or eliminated entirely.

Focus on Contribution, Not Effort

The effective executive constantly asks, 'What can I contribute that will significantly affect the performance and results of the institution?' This shifts the focus from busywork and internal procedures to outward-facing results.

A hospital administrator could focus on internal tasks like optimizing schedules and budgets. The effective administrator asks, 'What is my unique contribution to patient care and the hospital's community health goals?' This might lead them to build a new partnership with a local clinic, a far more impactful result than simply managing internal processes.

Staff for Strength, Not to Avoid Weakness

Don't waste energy trying to fix people's weaknesses. Instead, build your team and design roles to leverage individuals' unique strengths, making their weaknesses irrelevant. Strong people always have strong weaknesses too.

Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to lead the Union Army despite his known alcoholism. When advisors complained, Lincoln reportedly replied, 'I cannot spare this man; he fights.' Lincoln focused on Grant's single, overwhelming strength—his ability to win battles—and structured the command to make his weakness irrelevant to that outcome.

Practice 'Posteriority' Before Setting Priorities

Before deciding what to do, you must first have the courage to decide what not to do. This means systematically abandoning the projects, products, and habits of yesterday that are no longer productive, freeing up resources for the opportunities of tomorrow.

A successful company has a product line that was once a top seller but is now in slow decline. The easy decision is to keep investing in it. The effective—but difficult—decision is to practice 'posteriority' by deliberately 'sloughing off' the old product, reallocating its budget and best people to a promising new venture.

Go deeper into these insights in the full book:
Buy on Amazon
Listen to the full audio book with an Audible Free Trial.
As an Amazon Associate, qualifying purchases help support this site.