Peter Drucker Quotes

“The need to manage oneself is creating a revolution in human affairs.”

“No matter how deeply wedded one may be to the free enterprise system (and I, for one, am wedded for life), one has to accept the need for positive government; one has to consider government action on a sizable scale as desirable rather than as a necessary evil.”

“Our most important education system is in the employees' own organization.”

“In a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time - literally - substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.”

“Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future.”

“A manager's task is to make the strengths of people effective and their weakness irrelevant - and that applies fully as much to the manager's boss as it applies to the manager's subordinates.”

“As with every phenomenon of the objective universe, the first step toward understanding work is to analyze it.”

“We can say with certainty - or 90% probability - that the new industries that are about to be born will have nothing to do with information.”

“...because knowledge rapidly deteriorates unless it is used constantly, maintaining within an organization an activity that is used only intermittently guarantees incompetence.”

“There's an enormous number of managers who have retired on the job.”

“True marketing starts...with the customer, his demographics, his realities, his needs, his values. It does not ask, "What do we want to sell?" It asks, "What does the customer want to buy?"”

“Absolute size by itself is no indicator of success and achievement, let alone of managerial competence. Being the right size is.”

“Plans are worthless, but planning is invaluable.”

“Leaders grow; they are not made.”

“One does not start with facts. One starts with opinions.”

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

“The dilemma of modern society: the conflict between the need for capital formation at a high rate and the popular condemnation of interest and dividends as "unearned income" and "capitalist," if not as sinful and wicked.”

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection.”

“Most executives have learned that what one postpones, one actually abandons ... timing is a most important element in the success of any effort. To do five years later what would have been smart to do five years earlier, is almost a sure recipe for frustration and failure.”

“Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service.”

“Don't solve problems. Pursue opportunities.”

“Education gives you neither experience nor wisdom.”

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”

“One does not "manage" people. The task is to lead people.”

“Important decisions are risky. They should be controversial. Acclamation means that nobody has done the homework.”