What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive

In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution.

This focus on the making of a contribution is the key. And the key to effectiveness comes in three areas:

1. in a person's work, its content, its level, its standards, and its impacts;

2. in his relationships with others, his superiors, his associates, and his subordinates; and

3. in his use of the tools of the executive, such as meetings and reports.

The executive who focuses on efforts and who stresses his authority downwards is a subordinate no matter how exalted his title and rank might be.

But the executive who focuses on contribution and who takes responsibility for results, no matter how junior he is, is, in the most literal sense of the term, "top management".

And what applies to the good executive applies to the good parent, or the good teacher, or the good spouse, or any person of great responsibility.

People who do not ask themselves, "What can I contribute?" are not only likely to aim too low; they are likely to aim at the wrong things as well.

Above all, they may define their responsibilities too narrowly, like the person who sees something wrong that he can easily and quickly set right, but who says, "That ain't my job, man!"

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Mail to: executiveandgroup-consulting@yahoo.com.

< p>Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme: "... helping you maximize your potential." He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at Maximizing Your Potential blog.

---

Success in Business Means Managing Negative Emotions

You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More

Another Use for Meetings

Every meeting is a laboratory where you can observe and... Read More

Working with Hearing Impaired Employees - Giving Them a Fair Go

Hearing impaired people often encounter difficulty at work because their... Read More

Using, Choosing, and Using an educational consultant

IntroductionThe aim of this document is to provide advice and... Read More

Controlling Your Cash Flow

IntroductionAre you looking for a way to gain control of... Read More

How to Overcome Your Fear of Firing

OVERCOMING FEAR OF FIRING "It was obvious that this employee... Read More

If You Build It, Investors Will Come

When you begin to write your business plan or a... Read More

Five Key Strategies for Making Your Nonprofit Business More Effective

I love tennis both as a spectator and... Read More

Prepare A Winning CV

There is every chance that elements of this article may... Read More

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process focused on satisfying... Read More

The Top 10 Things They Don?t Teach You In Business School

Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their... Read More

The Ivory Tower Syndrome

"His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself, and allows... Read More

Change Management

"It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the... Read More

Ten Secrets of Super Successful Meeting Planners

Whoever said that being a meeting planner was easy, lied!... Read More

Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

Yesterday I look at my calendar and saw that my... Read More

You Cant Afford the Luxury of Disengaged Employees

In today's business environment with increases in staff reductions and... Read More

An Original Perspective on Waging Conflict as a Way to Promote and Restore Self-dignity

Conflict is a fact of life for all of us,... Read More

Supplier Sees 53% Reduction in Out-of-Spec Orders Case Study

The goal of perfection is a challenge. It is often... Read More

The New Five Truths of Employee Motivation

Motivation is a term that is so widely used, yet... Read More

Strategies for Planning and Conducting Effective Meetings

Did you know that business executives spend about half their... Read More

A Sense of Humor in the Workplace ... Is it Me? Or, was that not funny?

When I was first initiated into Corporate America, I had... Read More

Crisis Management Tips

The term crisis management has different connotations. In this article,... Read More

Take This Into Consideration Before You Write Your Mission Statement

What principles should a company keep in mind when developing... Read More

Five Steps to Better Employee Management

Hiring employees is a huge responsibility. Before hiring anyone, be... Read More

Learn How To Get The Most From Your Team

Being a leader isn't easy. Every one looks to you... Read More

Character: Is It Necessary In Leadership? (Part One)

We know character when we see it, but what exactly... Read More

Lone Rangers Suffer without Tonto

A lone ranger is someone who prefers working in solitude... Read More

What to Do When Trust is Low

Trust is essential. You can't run a business without it.... Read More

The Narcissist in the Workplace

To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary... Read More

Top 10 Things Every Business Should Provide for Every Worker - Including the Boss!

Doing business and meeting the needs of workers is increasingly... Read More

Qualities of a Great Manager

In the call center environment we are often only as... Read More

The Rise of Corporate Chair Massages

Employers have rapidly begun to understand the importance of stress... Read More

Four Ways To Make the Case For Outsourcing

How do you convert outsourcing leads into clients? You may... Read More