Summary

Effectiveness is a habit, not an innate talent. In a knowledge economy, intelligence and imagination are essential, but only effectiveness converts these resources into results. The Effective Executive argues that effectiveness can be learned by mastering five specific practices. The first step is ‘Know Thy Time.’ Time is the scarcest resource; executives must record where it goes, eliminate non-essentials, and consolidate the remaining ‘discretionary time’ into solid blocks for deep work. The second practice is to focus on ‘Contribution.’ By asking ‘What can I contribute?’ rather than ‘What are my tasks?’, an executive shifts from being a subordinate to a responsible partner focused on outward results. Third, effective executives ‘Make Strengths Productive.’ They build on the strengths of themselves, their superiors, and their subordinates, accepting that one must tolerate weaknesses to utilize strengths. Fourth, they practice ‘First Things First’ through concentration. Courage dictates priorities: pick the future over the past, focus on opportunity rather than problems, and aim high. Finally, executives must make ‘Effective Decisions.’ This is a systematic process involving defining the problem, specifying boundary conditions, starting with what is right rather than what is acceptable, and building in feedback to ensure the decision converts into action. By integrating these habits, knowledge workers can ensure they are doing the right things, not just doing things right.