The Drucker Difference: What the World's Greatest Management Thinker Means to Today's Business Leaders

Why Drucker's Ideas Matter More Now than Ever “This book is an excellent way to understand how Drucker’s ideas apply to today’s dilemmas, be they the problems faced by organizations, by governments, or by individuals.” -from the Foreword, by Charles Handy “This compilation of smart essays on the ‘Drucker difference’ illustrates how astonishingly wide the wings of Drucker’s wisdom have spread. We all stand gratefully in his shadows, silent in awe.” —Warren Bennis, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California “Peter Drucker is more than a ‘management writer.’ He literally created the foundation on which a Functioning Society rests. In The Drucker Difference, Peter’s closest colleagues extend and amplify his tour de force body of ideas and ideals. It is the next step forward.” —Bob Buford, Chairman, The Drucker Institute, and Founder, Leadership Network “Much has been written by and about my friend and mentor, Peter Drucker. But this book is different. It is written by those who knew and understood him as friends and faculty colleagues and reflects his thoughts and principles as they are currently being taught to those who will be making a difference for tomorrow.” —C. William Pollard, Chairman Emeritus, The ServiceMaster Company “Hats off to the Drucker faculty members for putting the tacit knowledge they gained from working together with Peter Drucker into explicit knowledge through the publication of this book.” —Ikujiro Nonaka, Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University, Japan, and Xerox Distinguished Faculty Scholar, University of California at Berkeley “The Drucker Difference is a unique book that enables present and future executives to capitalize on Peter Drucker’s wisdom and to comprehend that knowledge from an entirely new perspective.” —Minglo Shao, Chairman, Bright China About the Book: Peter F. Drucker was one of the most influential business thinkers in history. Considered the father of modern management, he was concerned not only with the human side of management, but also with the larger societal roles played by both companies and the individuals within them. If there has ever been a time when such thinkers are relevant, it is now. The Drucker Difference casts new light on Drucker’s business philosophy, analyzing his most important ideas in the context of today’s business world. Through individual contributions by professors from The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, it combines expert insight and current scholarship to reveal how organizations and executives can interpret and apply Drucker’s timeless ideas. Today’s top business thinkers provide sixteen chapters analyzing Drucker’s views on the most critical issues of our time, including: Government, business, and civil society (Ira Jackson) The interplay of values and power within companies (Karen E. Linkletter and Joseph A. Maciariello) Applying collaboration to “knowledge work” (Craig L. Pearce) Drucker’s management vision (Richard Smith) Economic environment, innovation, and industry dynamics (Hideki Yamawaki) Each contributor explains a single, classic aspect of Drucker’s work, examines its implications in today’s business environment, and applies an up-to-date and contemporary interpretation of Drucker’s wisdom. Covering everything from marketing and leadership to strategy and governance, The Drucker Difference is both a timely new assessment and a valuable addition to the canon of Drucker literature.