According to Jim Collins, when he first visited Peter Drucker to seek for his advice, he was "at a crossroad, trying to decide whether to jettison a traditional path...." (Management, pp. xvi)
This is how he remembered that meeting:
We settled in the living room, with Drucker asking questions from his favorite wicker chair, probing, pushing, challenging. He gave freely of his wisdom, asking nothing in return. He simply wanted to contribute to my development at what was then a pivotal stage of my career; I was only thirty-six years of age with no significant reputation. His generosity of spirit explains much of Drucker’s immense influence. I reflected back on his work, The Effective Executive, and his admonition to replace the quest for success with the quest for contribution. The critical question is not, “How can I achieve?” but “What can I contribute?”
--Forward, The Daily Drucker
This Concept Map is an attempt to explore how that meeting might have made a lasting influence on Jim Collins' subsequent work and thinking.
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Mind map drawn by Benny has led me to better understanding of Jim Collins’ thoughts, and how they have been influenced by his teacher, Peter Drucker.
ReplyDeleteThe financial tsunami must have hurt some of the companies studied in the ‘Good to Great’ research. An attempt to re-study them will lead to deeper understanding on how good or great they are.
Thank you Charles, for the keen observation. Indeed, it'd be revealing to trace how well are the "great companies' identified by Collines doing in this financial crisis. Wonder if anybody has data on this.
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