I read a book this week called Drucker and Me by Bob Buford (thanks to my friend Cheryl for loaning it to me!).  I expect most people who read on the subject of leadership would be familiar with the name Peter Drucker.  Drucker was an incredibly prolific writer and speaker on the subject of leadership, who taught and influenced more on the subject of leadership than just about anyone else in the twentieth century.  From business leaders to non-profit leaders to church leaders, so many people (including me) have benefited from Drucker’s writings, and if you haven’t read this new book by Buford, I’d highly recommend it to you.

Drucker has always fascinated me.  He taught so many people in so many different contexts, and seemed equally comfortable in the boardroom, the classroom, and the church meeting room.  Did you know that he wrote 1/3 of his books before age 65 and 2/3 after?  Often I think people think of 65 as a magic number, and once you’re “retired” you just kick back and stop making contributions to organizations, churches, and the world.  Never let that be said!  Drucker ran his race to the very end.  When he died at the age of 95, he was still writing, working on his next book.  I hope and pray that I’m still making a contribution to other leaders and the church all the way to the end.  What a leader.

Three of my favorite Drucker quotes from this book for leaders:

1. “What have you quit doing so that you can focus more on those things that will produce results?”  The principle of planned abandonment – critical for every leader in any organization.

2. “Thinking small yields small results.” I’ve seen this to be true more than once in my leadership.

3. “Good intentions are not enough; always measure the results of your efforts to make sure you are getting the most out of your investment of time and resources.” We measure what’s important.  Without evaluation, how will we know if we’re getting better?

What’s your favorite quote from Peter Drucker?

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