The Drucker School of Thought: 5 Pillars

The 5 Pillars

1. A belief in the importance of a functioning society

2. A focus on people-centered management

3. A focus on performance

4. A focus on self-management

5. A practice based, transdisciplinary, and lifelong approach to learning

A belief in the importance of a functioning society: Effective and responsible institutions are essential components of a functioning society. Two Drucker books form the cornerstone of his work on a functioning society: Drucker’s first book, The End of Economic Man: A Study of the New Totalitarianism (1937), “examined the spiritual and social origins of fascism.” This book was followed by The Future of Industrial Man (1940), in which Drucker presented his social vision for a post-World War II world. Drucker became interested in business primarily because of his interest in the important role of healthy organizations in a functioning society.

A focus on people: Drucker firmly believed that management is a liberal art – that is, a context within which the liberal arts are practiced. Central to this philosophy, is the view that management is a human activity. Drucker firmly believed in the human potential and human capacity and always felt that effective managers got things done through people. Because work provides many people with social status and a sense of community, Drucker reminded managers that their responsibility extends beyond simply providing people with an income.

A focus on performance:

• Managers are measured by results and are, therefore, accountable for those results. Drucker also believed that accountability for results needs to be pushed down the organization as much as possible.

• Drucker also understood that managers are constantly trying to strike a balance between, for example, making people more productive and ensuring work provides people social status and meaning.

• At the same time, managers need to balance continuity and change. Managers have an obligation to be future-facing, that is, to see “a future that has already happened.” This means that management education should train managers to examine complex, ambiguous issues, anticipate and meet the challenges of change and renewal, and to see things both as they are and as they can be.

A focus on self-management: We believe that internal readiness precedes external effectiveness. While management is about achieving results, effective managers must first skillfully handle their own thoughts, emotions and actions. We offer students a number of courses on self-management under the umbrella of the Executive Mind.

A practice based, transdisciplinary, and lifelong approach to learning:

• Management education needs to be practice based and results-oriented, with an eye on “The Monday Morning Difference”.

• In addition to reminding us that management is a human activity, management as a liberal art encourages managers to apply the “wisdom and moral lessons of the liberal arts to answer everyday questions of work, school and society”. A manager from a liberal arts tradition will, therefore, benefit from a transdisciplinary education.

• Learning is lifelong. People need to refresh and update their knowledge constantly.