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The Effective Executive  By  cover art

The Effective Executive

By: Peter F. Drucker
Narrated by: Jim Collins,Timothy Andrés Pabon
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Publisher's summary

A commemorative edition of Peter F. Drucker's timeless classic work on leadership and management, with a foreword by Jim Collins.

What makes an effective executive?

For decades Peter F. Drucker was widely regarded as "the dean of this country's business and management philosophers" (Wall Street Journal). In this concise and brilliant work, he looks to the most influential position in management - the executive.

The measure of the executive, Drucker reminds us, is the ability to "get the right things done". This usually involves doing what other people have overlooked as well as avoiding what is unproductive. Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that mold them into results.

Drucker identifies five practices essential to business effectiveness that can - and must - be mastered:

  • Managing time
  • Choosing what to contribute to the organization
  • Knowing where and how to mobilize strength for best effect
  • Setting the right priorities
  • Knitting all of them together with effective decision making

Ranging across the annals of business and government, Drucker demonstrates the distinctive skill of the executive and offers fresh insights into old and seemingly obvious business situations.

©2017 Peter F. Drucker (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about The Effective Executive

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    3 out of 5 stars

A few solid but basic ideas to keep in mind

Maybe the insights provided in this book were somehow less intuitive, or less often repeated, in the 1960s. Still, just like the great majority of business, leadership, and self-improvement books, it is good to have a reminder of the basics.

For the curious, and because I would want to know as a review reader, my paraphrase of the basics in this case are:
1. Anyone can apply good practices and improve their effectiveness and, as long a you are mindful in what you are being effect at, improve your value to the cause you are working towards.
2. Time is a fixed and precious thing - be very judicious how you spend it.
3. Understand exactly what your contribution is or should be, what is expected of you. Are you delivering to the best of your ability?
4. Operate in your strengths, and ensure that you have everyone under you also operating in their strengths. Operating or spending time in weaknesses is not productive.
5. Prioritize ruthlessly - do not do lower priority tasks, and align highest priority work that only you can do to your most productive work times (mornings, afternoons, evenings).
6. Endeavor to be creative = think outside the box.
7. Fail fast - if you are not getting the results you want, stop and change the approach, the goal, the game.

While I like reviewing the basics, I doubt I'll spend the time to listen to this book again.

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Life changing

I can not recommend enough this book. I just got an executive position, I thought what being effective meant and what it meant for my team members this book made me think again about and start practicing the principles stated in the book religiously, training myself to be an effective executive. If you are an executive or want to grow into one this book is one that is worth the investment of time to absorb and digest. In terms of the audible version, great listen, I liked the pace of the reader fast but clear with a good pacing to digest topics, the foreword by Jim Collins was also good to get you on the mood for the rest of the book. Overall great great investment.

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11 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Narrator hard to listen to

I found it extremely hard to follow due to the narrator. It is impossible for me to judge the context as the narrator couldn't keep my attention . The effective manager was much more easy to follow

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11 people found this helpful

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Concise, focused and to the point.

How to be an Effective executive. All meat, no fluff. One of the most concise books on being effective.

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7 people found this helpful

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Exceptional Actionable Insights

I have listened through two times with copious notes and just finished third listen no notes. I have put this to work in my business for myself, in meetings, in working through problems, in reviewing past decisions and where we could have made better decisions despite not knowing exact outcomes, in staff retention and engagement, in understanding the consumer better... and in conducting myself at work... It is simply one of the most useful and impactful business books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and listening to. Drucker’s insights seem to have a timelessness or continual relevance. Can’t recommend it enough.

For reference I run a small / medium business with 6 departments and $2M/quarter in sales. There is hotel, retail and restaurant combined in addition to staff housing.

Happy listening!

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5 people found this helpful

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Truly Timeless

There is no doubt you will hear at least a dozens new (old) ideas you can implement today which will greatly enhance your effectiveness. Make the time, you on
firm is counting on you!

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where has this book been all my life?

Loved it. Practical. Profound. This should be taught in all schools regardless of major. The book is not only effective, it's a masterpiece.

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4 people found this helpful

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Highly Recommended

This book changed the way i live. Instead of mechanically taking care of my to-do list like I used to, I now try to do what must be done next. I love how Drucker emphasize that we should make a difference, not just settle for making a living or strive to be the best at something just for the glory. He tells the characteristics that effective executives have and uses colorful examples of historical figures and companies to illustrate his points, which makes his book interesting to listen to. Jim Collins and Tim Andres Pabon also did a good job at narrating (varied intonation). Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone of all ages and background!

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The Best Professional Self improvement

Very well read, printed version is less organized. If you have a degree or more than 5 years of work experience, and if you work for someone or have someone working for you then you need to read/listen to this book.

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Good few points, but redundant. Not recommended

I would rather read all mentioned on the book in one single article. That would have been a better investment of my time.

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2 people found this helpful