Book of the Month

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 a global operation.

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 could be invaluable to organizations of every size and to leaders at every level.

­-Newt Barrett is the CEO of Succeeding Today. Contact him at newt@succeedingtoday.com.