MONDAY*
In this 2005 interview, Peter Drucker tells Bruce Rosenstein, the author of Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life, that the most contented people he has known are those “who make a life that has more than one dimension so that if you are set back in one area, it doesn’t kill you.” The original transcript is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
Businessman and social entrepreneur Bob Buford recounts in this 1994 memo “the most important lessons I have learned from Peter Drucker.” Among them is one in which Drucker has made clear to Buford, a longtime consulting client and dear friend, that looking for “the unexpected success” is not just a good practice in business; it’s also a good practice in one’s personal life. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
“A decision … has to be made as to which tasks deserve priority and which are of less importance,” Peter Drucker advised executives. Practicing what he preached, Drucker noted in this 1978 letter that he himself had stopped attending meetings so as “to concentrate my time” on writing, teaching, consulting and lecturing—“in that order.” The original correspondence is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1970 letter to executives from consulting client Premier Industrial Corp., Peter Drucker advises the company to set annual improvement goals that are “very high and demanding.” But he also reminds them that the biggest stretch goal is truly innovating for a different future. The original correspondence is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
From Issue # 20
November–December 2017
In this 1999 interview, Peter Drucker talks extensively about managing the boss, noting that “every manager I know” finds this “the most difficult of his tasks.” The transcript is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 2004 talk to an audience at Claremont Graduate University, Peter Drucker propounds the idea that executives must balance planning for the short term and the long term. The transcript is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
From Issue # 18
July–August 2017
In this 1994 missive, social entrepreneur Bob Buford reflects on what he has learned from Peter Drucker, including “the most effective road to self-renewal.” Buford clearly took Drucker’s lessons to heart, including as the author of Half Time and Finishing Well. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
As if to prove the point that you can’t always anticipate how people will respond to things, behavioral economist David C. Rose asks Peter Drucker for “any additional thought” he has on business ethics—only to be told in this 2003 exchange that one of the world’s most expansive thinkers has nothing to add. The original email is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this excerpt from a 2004 talk given at Claremont Graduate University, titled “A Thoughtful Conversation,” Peter Drucker discusses the work and responsibilities of CEOs, including their need to make tough decisions. The full presentation is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this excerpt from his lecture notes, for a Claremont Graduate University course called “Entrepreneurship in Business Enterprise,” Peter Drucker discusses risks and opportunities for the innovative organization. The notes are held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this excerpt from a 1981 lecture delivered at New York University, Peter Drucker sets out to answer some of the questions posed by the moderator: What enhances productivity? And what inhibits it? The transcript is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1981 letter to a consulting client, the financial services adviser Greenwich Research Associates, Peter Drucker lays out a number of steps to help the firm cultivate internal talent. Key among them: building “into the system continuous learning.” The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
Peter Drucker first developed his “Theory of the Business” as part of some consulting work that he was doing for General Electric in the late 1950s. In this letter to GE manager Mel Hurni, Drucker relates some of his early struggles with the concept. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1998 letter, the president of LERN, a nonprofit association dedicated to helping providers of continuing education and lifelong learning, thanks Peter Drucker for his positive impact on the organization’s board. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
From Issue #10
March-April 2016
In this 1988 list, Peter Drucker makes clear that—in addition to being a renowned corporate consultant—he himself worked across all sectors of society. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1975 letter to Ernst Keller, the president of Adela Investment Co., Peter Drucker emphasizes the need to hire a new top executive with “outstanding strength” in at least one key area—even if he has to learn other things. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
From Issue #8
November–December 2015
In this excerpt from a 1997 speech to alumni of the Drucker School of Management in Los Angeles, Peter Drucker notes that executives have no shortage of data at their fingertips. But whether it actually tells them anything meaningful is, as he makes clear, a whole different matter. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1980 letter, Peter Drucker is invited to lecture on Japanese art at Pomona College. Drucker became an expert in the field because the beauty of Japanese paintings—especially those from the 14th to the 19th centuries—moved him. But he also drew on this knowledge for broader insights into Japanese society and business. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
From Issue #6
July–August 2015
In this transcript, drawn from a two-hour lecture delivered to his executive management class at Claremont Graduate University in February 2001, Peter Drucker speaks on the origins of a key Lean concept: kaizen, or continuous improvement. A video of the lecture, titled “The Change Leader,” is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this 1995 fax to Carolina Biquard, an Argentinian social entrepreneur being mentored by Peter Drucker and former Girl Scouts CEO Frances Hesselbein, Drucker makes clear that one of the great things about being in this role is that he gets to learn as much as he gets to teach. The original document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
In this passage from a 1994 letter to Bill Emmott, editor of The Economist, Peter Drucker describes the pioneering executive management program that he launched at Claremont Graduate University, noting that it was not large—by design. The letter is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
Peter Drucker—who was highly productive as a professor, consultant and the author of 39 books—guarded his own time zealously. He kept a stack of these pre-printed reply cards at the ready, using them to ward off all manner of possible distraction. Copies are held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
This fax was sent in 2003 from Peter Drucker to renowned Japanese executive Masatoshi Ito, founder of one of Japan’s largest retail groups, Ito-Yokado, which is now a part of the country’s leading retailer, Seven & I. The document is held by the Drucker Archives, a part of the Drucker Institute.
