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

Peter Drucker's "The Effective Executive" is a seminal work that has stood the test of time, offering invaluable insights into the art of management and leadership. This commemorative hardcover edition, with a foreword by Jim Collins, pays tribute to Drucker's enduring legacy and the timeless wisdom contained within its pages. 🏆 Pros: ✅ Concise and Impactful: Drucker's writing is succinct yet profound, distilling complex concepts into actionable practices that resonate across industries and eras. 📝 ✅ Enduring Relevance: Despite being written decades ago, the principles outlined in this book remain remarkably relevant in today's fast-paced business world. 🌐 ✅ Practical Guidance: From managing time effectively to mobilizing strengths and setting priorities, Drucker provides a roadmap for executives to achieve genuine effectiveness. 🗺️ Cons: ❌ Dense at Times: While concise, certain sections may require careful re-reading and reflection to fully internalize the insights. 🤔 ❌ Historical Context: Some examples or references may feel dated, though the underlying principles remain evergreen. ⌛ As someone who has read and re-read this book over the years, I can attest to its enduring value. Drucker's dissection of the executive's role and the habits essential for effectiveness is both enlightening and practical. 💡 His emphasis on "getting the right things done" and avoiding unproductive activities resonates deeply in our distraction-filled world. This commemorative edition is a beautiful tribute to a true management giant. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, "The Effective Executive" is a must-read that will undoubtedly sharpen your focus, prioritization, and decision-making abilities. Drucker's wisdom transcends time, making this book an invaluable addition to any business library. 📚🌟

Drucker is a Legend. This book is a masterful text which will guide you, as an executive of your life or business, to ask and develop answers to questions which will develop your skills and hone your usage of time into sharp relief. It is a book I will be coming back to regularly to ensure that I'm getting things right and to correct my perspective on them. Buy the book. You won't regret it. And there are plenty of cheaper options too.

Unfortunately, this book - which may be great - was spoiled for me by the actions of the previous owner, who took a bright pink felt pen and drew lines through many passages. I found this very annoying, so was unable to concentrate properly on the content. The star rating I have given is based on the views of very many people who have recommended it over the years, and the fact that I did feel that it contained many worthwhile insights.

It is not a long book, but if you ever bother thinking about reading a business book, this is the one. It is not current, so some of the references to big industry are very dated, but the concept remains the same - good (excellent) executive performance is excellent executive performance. If this is not mandated reading in a business school - then it is not a business school.

Would buy again

Did not expect this.

The best book of its kind IMHO

A+

I know of no better book to tell you exactly what skills do you need to develop as an executive.

訳者には申し訳ないが、この本は原書で読むべき。原書には一般の新社会人から社長まで、誰にでも分かりやすく多くの事例を紹介しながら、いつの世も悩める社会人に温かく語りかけるような空気がある。 さらに英語も難し過ぎず、ちょっと辛抱すれば必ず読み切れる。200ページ弱なので。英語の勉強にもなる。 多くの示唆に富み、モチベーションも上がり、仕事に役立ち、おまけに英語の勉強に身なる。それでこの値段。 コスパはギネス級と言えるだろう。

I thoroughly enjoyed Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done. It’s a concise, straightforward read, yet packed with invaluable advice for anyone in a leadership position. What makes this book stand out is its balance of practical teachings with real-world examples, memorable quotes, and actionable mental tools. Drucker’s insights are easy to apply and resonate deeply with the challenges faced in day-to-day leadership. Some of the lessons I found particularly valuable include staying true to your core values instead of simply conforming to others’ expectations, avoiding a rigid top-down mentality, embracing forgiveness as an essential aspect of business relationships, and recognizing when to let go of unproductive tasks—while being wary of cognitive traps like the sunk cost fallacy. Overall, it’s a light yet impactful read, filled with timeless lessons. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills. My personal rating: 8 post-its!

Es un libro con principios inmutables que llevan a reflexionar sobre las actividades del día a día, ya sea en lo laboral o lo personal, ¡Muy recomendable!

There are a number of other reviews that summarize the contents of the book, so I won't attempt to do that here. The big picture knowledge that the book imparts, are really the key aspects to being effective in any line of knowledge work (which is most jobs today). These include: 1) Time management 2) Focusing on contributing value 3) Building on strengths as opposed to shoring up weakness 4) Focus on the priorities, don't let the pressures / inertia drive work output 5) Effective decision-making Some of the few negative reviews seem to think this book is outdated. While occasionally it does feel this way (when it references how much better educated Americans are than everyone else - a throwback to the 60s), the big picture information is still 100% relevant I think. While there are many books that may go into each topic specifically (such as time management or decision-making) I have not seen many other books that present as strong of a big picture snapshot of ALL of the key activities needed to be effective and how these might play together. There were also some tidbits here and there that I found to be very true. For example, the concept that a decision is not made until it has been effectively communicated to everyone in an organization that needs the information in order to carry it out and sustain it. Although this seems obvious, there are people who may be "boundary conditions" as Drucker calls it - that do not execute the decision but still need to be aware of the decision so that they are not acting against the overall objective. In my own line of work, directing my first project, this was actually something I had to consciously learn and reading this book put words to a concept I was aware of, but never could verbalize. Also the idea to create appropriate yardsticks and measure the results of decisions and hold them against the intended result is very reminiscent of six sigma practices that came up much later. Good to see that this general practice is timeless. There was a lot of key thinking - especially as related to an organization - that I haven't seen in other places, especially regarding decision making. Some people may be put off by how general Drucker keeps the topic of discussion, but I think this does serve a purpose on keeping the concepts of the book at a big picture level which is good. I do feel that the book was lacking in specific practices related to time management. This book would have received 5 stars if Drucker more clearly explained specific methods for managing time, as I think this is an especially difficult topic. Instead he shrugs this off and encourages you to figure it out for yourself. Well, I for one would have been curious as to the particular methods that some of the most effective executives that he interviewed in his consulting practice used to manage their time. One other word of warning - this is really a book for someone who has at some point worked in a somewhat large organization (i.e. at least 100 people). If you have, much of what Drucker says will immediately 'click'. If you haven't yet accumulated serious work experience, or have only worked in very small companies (10 people or less), you may not appreciate the full value of this book. A great read for anyone interested in increasing their personal and organization's effectiveness.