Five Habits of the Effective Executive

Peter Drucker succinctly explains: “Effectiveness is a habit; that is, a complex of practices. And practices can always be learned. Practices are simple, deceptively so; even a seven-year-old has no difficulty in understanding a practice. But practices are always exceedingly hard to do well … Practices one learns by practicing and practicing and practicing again.” (Italics are my emphasis.)

In The Effective Executive, what I consider a must-read for anyone who works in any organization, Drucker highlights five habits that executives must acquire to be effective:

1. Time Consciousness: Effective executives are aware of where they spend their time. (We’ll address this more specifically in another post.)
2. Outward Contribution: Effective executives focus on outward contribution to the organization, and ultimately, the customer. They gear their efforts toward results, not work.
3. Strength-Focused Mindset: Effective executives build on their own strengths as well as the strengths of their superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. They do not build on weakness or start out with things they cannot do.
4. Measurable Results: Effective executives concentrate on the few critical areas where superior performance produces measurable results. (See A New Results Mindset at Work.)
5. Effective Decisions: Effective executives make effective decisions. The focus is on a small number of fundamental decisions that greatly impact the organization.

How well do you size up? Where can you improve your level of effectiveness?

Related posts:

1. Five Habits of Highly Effective Team Leaders
2. Adopt a New Results Mindset at Work
3. Excessive Meetings = Ineffective Organization
4. Conducting Effective Meetings
5. Mastering Time Management in the Workplace