Peter Drucker, RIP

I had almost come to believe that Peter Drucker was immortal, but sadly it’s not so. He died earlier today, at 95. Drucker was one of the great writers on business and management, who over the course of 70 years tirelessly championed the dignity and the intelligence of workers. In his 1946 book Concept of the Corporation, he made an eloquent case against mindless bureaucracy, arguing that managers should give workers the power to make decisions and take the initiative. A radical thought then, it’s become the common wisdom today, though few businesses actually live up to Drucker’s ideal.

There are good obituaries in the New York Times, Financial Times, and Business Week, and Drucker’s grandson, Nova Spivack, has written a tribute on his blog.

6 thoughts on “Peter Drucker, RIP

  1. internet128.com

    Peter Drucker R.I.P.

    Business and management guru Peter Drucker has passed away at the age of 95.

    The business guru market is stuffed with bogus bloviators, but Drucker was the real thing, a true pioneers with innovative ideas and approaches. As a kid I read the Drucker …

  2. Justin Pfister

    He sounds unborn, like a true sage indeed. More than not, I notice one charactastic in amazing people: at one point in their life, they connect with the East. His grandson really highlighted this.

  3. The Ideas Bazaar

    Red Eye Rambling

    Seattle, 5AM. My body wants a glass of red wine and a nice Sunday lunch (it’s lunchtime at home) but outside it’s cold, dark and drizzling. So I’m waiting breakfast to start, prevaricating about the workshop I’m running tomorrow at…

  4. Justin Pfister

    I’ve talked to Nova Spivack, his grandson, this weekend via email and he let me know that the best way to get to know Peter’s sources of inspiration was through his book, “Adventures of a Bystander” — his autobiography. I ordered it on Amazon [Amazon Link]

Comments are closed.