Effective Executives Do First Things First, and They Do One Thing at a Time — Part #2

What Five Habits You Should Develop to Become a More Productive Manager

Executives’ positions conspire against their effectiveness. Peter Drucker says to fix this problem with five new habits.

Continued from Part #1

“The truly important events on the outside are not the trends. They are changes in the trends.”

Credit to Author

Third Habit: “Making Strength Productive”

Strength is an asset. This is true regarding your strong points — your abilities, expertise, knowledge and personality — and those of your co-workers. The effective executive always builds on his or her strengths, and on others’ strengths, as well. This starts with staffing decisions. When hiring, do not try to avoid weaknesses. Instead, maximize strengths. Do not ask, “Will this person work well with me?” Rather, focus on the contributions that the person could make to the organization.

During the American Civil War, advisers warned U.S. President Abraham Lincoln that the highly effective General Ulysses S. Grant was a drunkard. “If I knew…