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The Definitive Drucker: Challenges For Tomorrow's Executives -- Final Advice From the Father of Modern Management

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I had the good fortune to spend one to three days a year with Peter Drucker from 1992-1999: He consulted with Carol Coles and me in developing research and consulting services for lowering the cost of capital, launching the 400 Year Project to accelerate global progress by 20 times during 2015 through 2035, and in writing about what the next generations of leadership best practices would be like. You can get a glimpse of that connection in Jack Beatty's book, The World According to Peter Drucker. I also will be writing more about Peter's ideas on and contributions to these subjects in the forthcoming book, Adventures of an Optimist.

I once asked Peter how he would guard his intellectual legacy after his death. He confidently replied that he had a very good plan and that all would be well. Having seen that this book was published after his death under the title, The Definitive Drucker, I'm not so sure he was right about protecting his intellectual legacy.

For the record, this book is not the definitive book on Peter Drucker. Why?

1. The book is almost totally devoted to his ideas about for-profit management as pursued by very large companies.

2. There is virtually no mention of his ideas about society in general.

3. His work on how to be effective executive is incompletely shared.

4. Dr. Haas Edersheim deliberately ignores the roots of Drucker's concepts as described in Adventures of a Bystander, which I believe is essential context for appreciating his observations.

5. The manner by which his nonprofit consulting experiences helped him formulate his for-profit ideas is ignored.

6. Almost all of my favorite anecdotes based on what Peter said to me about the companies described in this book are left out. Here's an example of the insights those anecdotes provide: Can anyone appreciate Drucker's tendency to revise his opinions to claim that he was the first to notice something without knowing that he insisted that I take most of my Dell examples out of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise because he was concerned that Dell wouldn't continue to prosper after 1999?

7. The full scope of his thoughts about for-profit management is ignored. For instance, his many questions and ideas about capital markets are mostly missing . . . except as they arise in the DLJ example of how he encouraged the founders to go public in the 1970s.

There is one excellent element about this book that makes it well worth reading: If you renamed this book, The Definitive Drucker as Consultant, you wouldn't be far off the mark. His consulting practice was mostly invisible to those who weren't his clients, but his approach is one that most consultants could learn much from. I was very impressed by the way that Dr. Haas Edersheim's interviews and writings captured the essence of Peter Drucker in a one-on-one situation. Although some of the earlier books about Peter addressed this topic, none did so as thoroughly and as well as this book.

Most business leaders today have read relatively little of Peter Drucker's writings. But most have read some of the so-called original management theories that are little more than a rephrasing of Peter's original designs while not acknowledging Peter's work at all. Where Peter always tried to pick the best example for a point he had to make, most business authors seem to be only able to write about recent examples that they have experienced. And many business book readers prefer it that way. Dr. Haas Edersheim's book fits that mold very well. She develops themes from some of Peter's long-time, large-company clients (like GM and GE), adds some of her own clients, and finds a few other examples that seem to fit what Peter has to say. For those who want to see some of Peter's work dressed up with more recent examples, this book is probably the best resource.

Even though English was a learned language for Peter, he wrote English like a talented, native-speaking novelist. Where Peter is quoted in the book, the beautiful language shines. Dr. Haas Edersheim, by comparison, writes like an academic/consultant and the experience is not always pleasant. She likes to force ideas into her metaphors (something Peter would never do), display lots of grids (something Peter couldn't imagine anyone wanting to do), and ramble on endlessly about things that could be stated quite simply (something Peter would use his ruthless self-editing to avoid).

Interestingly, Peter always told me that the impact of his books was quite minor compared to the effect of his essays in The Wall Street Journal and other mass media. Why? Lots of people read well-constructed essays in the mass media and few read more than a few pages in any business book. He also doubted if very much in the Harvard Business Review was really read and understood. I was shocked to see how little this book relied on his essays. Hopefully, someone will realize that those essays are the essential kernel of his influence and write about them in the future.

Dr. Haas Edersheim obviously is drawn to strategic questions and Peter, of course, founded the field of strategy for organizations. If that's your interest, you'll find this book to be quite solid.

Edersheim brings Drucker's timeless observations and ideas into the present with additional insights about today's business world and many examples of how some of today's most innovative companies are applying Drucker's wisdom to succeed in today's dynamic world. The Definitive Drucker makes Peter Drucker's insights and advice to some of the world's most successful business leaders accessible and embraceable. A must read for anyone who has read Drucker in the past and wants a refreshing new look at his ideas and for anyone looking for a modern day primer on Drucker's insights

This book is must reading for anyone who leads or hopes to lead an organization. It distills the essence of Drucker's work into seven readable and enlightening chapters. Edersheim captures the clarity of Drucker's insights and frames his approach in a manner that will be beneficial no matter how the business world changes. This is not a book to be read and discarded. It is a guide to be kept accessible and revisited regularly.

I enjoyed this book. The author shared her experience of going to Peter Drucker's home over a period of time to interview him and recounts having to contend with Peter's wife and the 2 hour limitations on his time thru her. The book presents his theories of business management and real life examples how companies employed them and where certain com[anies did not employ them.

In this wonderful book, Elizabeth Edersheim not only channels the master, she jams with him.

Peter Drucker invented much of modern business' language and, therefore, many of its core concepts. Where would business be, after all, if it weren't for knowledge workers meeting MBOs? Which of us would be customer driven and results oriented? Without Drucker, would we have struggled as mightily to tradeoff effectiveness and efficiency? Would we be systematically seeking new opportunities for innovation in realms of discontinuous change (presaging most strategy gurus by at least 15 years)?

If you are a fan of Drucker -- one of the clearest thinkers and writers of the 20th Century -- this exploration of many of his most important ideas is a wonderful complement to his own writing. It's certainly not a conventional biography but more like a musical discography that explores, riffs on, and and just plain enjoys his most interesting compositions.

Ignore the inappropriate title. The "definitive Drucker" passed away on November 11, 2005, and his best work is to be found within his 40 books and hundreds of articles. (The Essential Drucker, for example, whose contents were personally selected by Peter Drucker.) There are two reasons for my rating of this book: Elizabeth Haas Edersheim was able to meet or talk with Drucker frequently during the last 16-18 months of his life and thus we indeed have in this volume what its subtitle claims to be his "final advice"; also, she conducted dozens of interviews (including several of CEOs such as Procter & Gamble's A.G. Lafley who wrote the Foreword) who shared their perspectives on Drucker and his impact on them. Others interviewed include Jim Collins, Warren Bennis, and C.K. Prahalad.

To her credit, Edersheim creates a context for Drucker's insights and presents them, then gets out of the way. Although these insights are carefully organized within seven chapters, I appreciate the fact that she permits a rambling, informal, but lively narrative that seems most appropriate to Drucker's own style of communication. Throughout the book, she captures and sustains a conversational tone for his remarks. Although Drucker is widely renowned - and properly so - as a visionary thinker, insights of greatest interest to me are those which suggest his pragmatism. For example, here is one of my personal favorites that first appears in an article (in 1963) in the Harvard Business Review: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."

True, Drucker served as an adviser to most of the world's largest corporations and, upon request, personally counseled their CEOs, other C-level executives, and board members. However, in my opinion, the impact and value of his knowledge leadership extends far beyond the corporate world as, in his later years, he devoted so much of his attention to helping improve the effectiveness of non-profits, and, the personal as well as professional development of those preparing for or only recently embarked upon a business career. This was perhaps best expressed when he observed "Each of us is a CEO." Whatever their size or nature may be, effective organizations are human communities comprised of personally accountable individuals who work well together. Their success will reflect Peter Drucker's enduring influence in months and years to come.

a good book seller,mail the book the next day when book was ordred, though the book is not that new as i imagine (may be caused by the long way mailing.)

Drucker is rightfully considered the father of modern management. This is an excellent addition to the two score books that he wrote himself. Whether it is truly 'The Definitive Drucker' as it claims is an academic point. See 'The Essential Drucker' if you would like to make your own comparisons.

Most Business books these days seem to have one point surrounded with fluff, excessive examples and self-aggrandizement. This book has more ideas to change your corporation than a shelf full of average CEO stories.

What would be the cost of gleaning the best thoughts, insight, analysis, experience and perspective from possibly the greatest business mind of the 20th Century? Apparently it's the cost of Elizabeth Hass Edersheim's book The Definitive Drucker, which is the authorized biography of the founding father of modern management, Peter Drucker. Drucker handpicked Edersheim to write his landmark memoir by giving her unrestricted access during the final 16 months of his life. During his life, Drucker helped shape companies, countries and economies across the globe offering his advice to leaders of GE, the World Bank and Japan - to name a few. The Definitive Drucker distills his managerial discipline and vision as well as his sage-like guidance regarding the future of business practices, economic conditions and trends - many that have already come to pass since his death. Soundview recommends this book because its contents offer exponential value far beyond the nominal cost. If you read only one business book this year, make sure its this one!

Timeless. That's the best word to describe the wisdom of Peter Drucker (1909-2005), widely considered the father of modern management. Born in Vienna, he chose the United States over Europe in 1937, because he believed that's where the future would be invented.

His insights helped shape companies throughout the 20th century, and still resonate today.Drucker coined the term "knowledge workers" in 1959-decades before personal computers and the World Wide Web-believing that intelligence would fuel the economy. In 1992, he wrote that only world-not Western-history and civilization now matter.

His thoughts on management, economics and politics filled nearly 40 books. But his last words on a variety of topics are in The Definitive Drucker by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim, who interviewed Drucker in the 16 months before his death.

When she asked him what he wanted to be remembered for, he replied simply, "Enabling a few people to get the right things done." His contribution, he said, was "to highlight the concept of the responsible and effective execution of management as work, function and responsibility."

Drucker asked clients challenging questions that forced them to derive their own solutions, Edersheim writes. General Electric CEO Jack Welch recounts one question that led to a sea change at GE: "If it's not your front room, can you make it somebody else's front room?" In other words, if a certain area is not your company's strength, can you outsource the work for the best possible outcome? This led GE down the path toward intelligent outsourcing.

The Definitive Drucker also features commentary from other corporate disciples, cites examples of Drucker's best thinking in action, and reveals some of his effective strategies-including how to work through challenges.

He saw himself as a "counteracter," Edersheim writes. "When people begin talking about problems, I say, `No, wait a minute. Let's first look at the opportunities,'" he told her.

This book is must reading for organizations of every size and to leaders at every level.