The revisit to update my blog has been prompted by the recent death of probably one of the greatest Management Minds the world has produced - Peter Ferdinand Drucker. It was years ago that I was first introduced to his work, 'The Age of discontinuity', by my father and ever since I've tried to get a hold of most of what he wrote. Futile as my efforts were, I still made it a point to read every article of his that appeared in the Harvard Business Review editions of 2004. I will however make it a point to read the rest of his 33 books in my lifetime.
The passing away of such a great individual, who possessed the ability to write intellectually stimulating articles and essays even at the age of 94, leaves a great void amidst the intellectual community, that would probably never be replaced in years to come. His influence on Businesses, Organizations and their functioning can never be measured and this is what makes me appreciate and respect the value of his work. It's not that much about who Mr. Drucker was or why he did what he did, but more about what he wrote and his ability to visualize the future of Organizations and the challenges they would face. He would probably be remembered for his prediction of the importance of innovation and technology in an Organization. Ofcourse, his theories about the historical connection between technology and man has been disputed by historians and in some cases by the technologists themselves but that doesn't take away his accurate predictions about the importance of technology in Business and Society. His ideas about strategy, planning, simplicity and entrepreneurship are indeed stimulating.
One of his essays I would recommend to those visiting this page is "The Manager and the Moron" that appeared in his book, "Technology, Management and Society".
I could go on about this man, but as cliched as it sounds, words wouldn't do him sufficient justice. A thorough reading and understanding of atleast one of his essays or books would help us in understanding him and his work better and probably result in attaching the value they truly deserve.
He's gone, but his contributions will still be respected and Managers will continue to fall back on some of his work for a better perspective on their responsibilities.
Thank You and R.I.P. Mr. Drucker.
-Dilip.
