Managing Oneself

Knowledge workers now build their own careers, because companies no longer do it for them. Managing Oneself starts from that shift and treats each reader as the chief executive officer of a working life that may last about 50 years.

Peter Drucker sets out a method of self-assessment for people who want to choose their own path and know when to change it. The reader works out which strengths are most valuable and which weaknesses do the most damage, then describes how they learn and how they work with other people. The reader also pins down the values they hold most deeply.

From that self-knowledge comes a picture of the work setting where the reader can contribute most. Drucker argues that lasting excellence comes from combining strengths with this understanding of oneself, and that staying engaged and productive over decades depends on it.

This is non-fiction in the form of practical career guidance. It is built around probing questions the reader asks of themselves, and it is useful to professionals at any stage who want to take charge of their own direction. Drucker was a writer, teacher and consultant, and he founded the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management.