Managing Yourself

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BEST OF HBR 1999 Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves—their strengths, their values, and how they best perform.

Managing Oneself

by Peter F Drucker .

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Included with this full-text Harvard Business Review article: 1 Article Summary The Idea in Brief—the core idea The Idea in Practice—putting the idea to work 2 Managing Oneself 12 Further Reading A list of related materials, with annotations to guide further exploration of the article’s ideas and applications

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BEST OF HBR 1999

Managing Oneself

The Idea in Brief

We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: If you’ve got ambition, drive, and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession—regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility. Companies today aren’t managing their knowledge workers’ careers. Rather, we must each be our own chief executive officer. Simply put, it’s up to you to carve out your place in the work world and know when to change course. And it’s up to you to keep yourself engaged and productive during a work life that may span some 50 years. To do all of these things well, you’ll need to cultivate a deep understanding of yourself. What are your most valuable strengths and most dangerous weaknesses? Equally important, how do you learn and work with others? What are your most deeply held values? And in what type of work environment can you make the greatest contribution? The implication is clear: Only when you operate from a combination of your strengths and self-knowledge can you achieve true— and lasting—excellence.

The Idea in Practice

To build a life of excellence, begin by asking yourself these questions: “What are my strengths?” To accurately identify your strengths, use feedback analysis. Every time you make a key decision, write down the outcome you expect. Several months later, compare the actual results with your expected results. Look for patterns in what you’re...