Growth tips 30 seconds to business enlightenment.

Drucker’s tips for CEO’s

23-Sep-2010

Peter Drucker shared a wealth of timeless advice for CEO’s. Here is a small summary of his wisdom.

Clear focus.

Leaders must clearly communicate the strategic priorities of the company so that their people know exactly what the organization is trying to do. They say “No” to distractions and keep focused on the big things that will make the biggest difference. Too many leaders try to do a little bit of 25 things and get nothing meaningful done.

Build on strengths, not weakness.

Successful leaders ask, "Of those things that will make a difference, which are the right tasks for me to perform?"  You have your own style for getting things done.  Don't try to be somebody else.  Effective leaders play to their strengths, and learn to say “No” to tasks they aren't naturally good at.  Yes, they make sure the other things get done - but not by them. They leverage the talents of people who are strong at performing those other necessary tasks. 

Creative abandonment.

A critical question for leaders to ask themselves is, "What are you going to stop doing?” Stop investing in past activities or things that have achieved their purpose.  Ask, "Is this still worth doing?" A dangerous trap for leaders is to continually pour resources into those “not quite” successes - those projects where everybody says that if you just give it another big push it will go over the top.

Geographically dispersed companies.

Don't travel so much - you will get very little done. It is important that you see people maybe twice a year.  Other times, make them come to see you, or use technology.  Your locations must keep you well informed about their plans and progress in their area.  Likewise, you must keep people well informed of the overall company's plans and your own priorities. Don't make them have to guess at what you are working on.

Don’t be a prisoner of your own organization.

The moment you are in the office, everybody comes to you wanting something. You cannot be too available - or you will never get anything done. Make sure your people clearly understand the top priorities they are accountable for and how their progress will be measured. Meet regularly to hold people accountable for progress. Ask them what support they need from you in order to achieve their goals. Discourage constant interruptions.  Create sufficient time and space to be alone to focus on the achievement of your own priorities.  

Measure and review your own performance.

Once you have clarified your targets and strategic priorities, you must review your own performance against them regularly.  What did you personally do well and what did you do poorly?  Did you select the right priorities to start with?  Achievement is meaningless if you are working on trivial things.

Comment

Name (optional)

Website (optional)

Email Address (optional)

Please fill in the text in the image in the box below

Comment (optional)