“Effective executives differ widely in their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. All they have in common is that they get the right things done.”
Drucker explained what makes executives effective, noting eight behaviors that relate to knowledge, planning, and action. The greatest executives practiced them, including President Truman and General Electric’s CEO Jack Welch.
The behaviors include doing the most important task and when it is accomplished, reprioritizing tasks. Doing what will benefit the organization. Creating an action plan that is based on “desired results” and that is checked “against the expectations.”
Making meetings productive is one of the final and most interesting behaviors. Drucker recounted how General Motors CEO Alfred Sloan wrote and distributed after-meeting memos that captured key thoughts, decisions, and actions.
(The Effective Executive, Introduction)