Week 6 of 52. Welcome to Drucker Mondays, a 52-week journey through the new book, A Year with Peter Drucker: 52 Weeks of Coaching for Leadership Effectiveness, by Joseph A. Maciariello. Each Monday, we'll feature a Drucker fan and his or her favorite snippet from the week's topic. (Subscribe on this page.) David Curry is our guest writer today.
Week 6: Make the Important Rather Than the Urgent Your Priority in Life
THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: Much of what we do every day is urgent, but not really of lasting importance. Focus instead on the things that will make a difference in the long run. Some tasks you can cut out—and never notice a loss of effectiveness.
DAVID CURRY’S FAVORITE DRUCKER INSIGHTS from Week 6, pages 45-50:
• “You are responsible for allocating your life.”
• “(Leaders) must learn, in the midst of multiple demands, to give priority, and the necessary time and focus, to the important rather than the urgent.”
• If there is any one “secret” of effectiveness, it is concentration.
DAVID CURRY’S COLOR COMMENTARY:
Drucker’s life in later years is instructive. Aging and not able to physically do many of the things he could do previously, he narrowed his focus and concentrated on eliminating tasks that were not essential—thus making the last third of his life perhaps his most impactful, despite a lack of energy and vigor of his earlier years.
Herein lies the challenge, to imagine (as Drucker suggests) that you have physical handicaps which limit your “super human” ability to do everything—then arrange your life in order to use your time to do those things which are only most important.
THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY:
David Curry is the CEO at Open Doors USA, Santa Ana, Calif. As part of their mission to serve persecuted Christians worldwide, they publish the annual World Watch List which identifies 50 countries where Christians are the most persecuted.
TO-DO TODAY:
Look at the tasks and obligations which were put upon you, or that you have taken upon yourself, which are not central to the purpose of your life and work. Begin to refine how you spend your time and energy. Where is your focus?
NEXT MONDAY:
Feb. 16, 2015 – Week 7: “Manage in Two Time Dimensions.” Watch for the color commentary by Jason Pearson, Principal, CrossSection, San Clemente, Calif.
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