I have been trying for the past week to find words for how I feel about Drucker’s passing.

If Stevenson created transport, the Drucker re-invented western work in the minds of a generation of big companies.

Without Drucker wouldn’t we be caught in a constant war between Taylor’s charts and stopwatches, and Mayo and Lewin’s minsdet? Probably.

Did Drucker “invent” management? - He didn’t think so. What he did best was clarify why post-war working wasn’t the paradise it was expected to be.

Whether it was Management By Objectives or specualtions into the future, his thinking will remain as clear, and clear, and clear. And that is why he will be read for years to come.

Drucker realised something which makes him worthy of historical importance - management is not just about controlling others - it’s about understanding work itself…

My only regret is that, while I got permission to use Mr Drucker’s photo for the iGuru Guide, I never wrote to the man himself - the work of the Peter Drucker Foundation is a wonderful legacy and I did write to them, but was shy to disturb the great man himself - perhaps I should have thought more?My favourite Drucker sentence is a truth which is definitely is self-evident :

“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.”

I hope that Peter Drucker would have liked the idea of Business Intelegant - simple, intelligent, elegant - and the Way of Intelegance. The Way of Intelegance is to ask “What is work, itself”, What is this thing we do more than we eat, sleep, are in relationships, are teenagers, or retired. It is absolutely the number one activity on planet Earth as adults. And yet for amy it is grey, crushing, boring, or even, not even a regular lifelong occurence. As yet, there is not one university or business college course- even Harvard, asking the question “What is Work, itself?”. Still, we can ask ourselves this question over and over again, until we see the fog clear for ourselves: that way the answer is personal, organic, and can redone ad infinitum…

I believe Peter Drucker would like the idea that everybody can be a thinker about work - and I know he would have loved to hear all those ideas. I think he would have warmed to the idea that sooner or later management will be a dead layer and real motivation will come not from promotion but from satisfaction and success.

With Drucker gone, the bell starts tolling for all the post-war giants, the “supergurus” who are now in their seventies and beyond. For me they are personal heroes - and I really, really feel the loss…

For many of us Druker is more than missed, he is mourned. I hope he is remembered as a reminder that good management happens intelegantly when the language is clear, the message is clearer, and the results are clearest of all.

The Business Intelegant Quick Guide to Formal Phrases

accordingly
alltsåaforesaid
förutnämndcorrespondingly
i motsvarade gradin accordance with
enligt, i enlighet med, i överensstämmelse med

in order to, in order that
för att, i avsikt med

in respect of, with respect to
med avseende på

insofar as
såtillvida som

pursuant to (rare)
i enlighet med

regarding
beträffande, angående, rörande

relating to
hänför

whatsoever
överhuvudtaget

with effect from
med verkan från

with regard to
med avseemde på