The Effective Executive

Drucker's argument is that effectiveness is a habit that can be learned rather than a trait people are born with, and he sets out the practices that make it up. They start with knowing where your time actually goes, then move to focusing on contribution rather than effort, building on strengths in yourself and others, and concentrating on the few areas where superior performance produces results. The last practices concern decision making, and the distinction between a decision about a principle and a reaction to a symptom. The book is about knowledge work, and a great deal of it is about deciding what not to do. First published in 1967 and still quoted for the chapters on time logging and effective decisions.