Blue Ocean Strategy

Managing Knowledge Means Managing Oneself
by Peter F. Drucker
Leader to Leader, No. 16 Spring 2000
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Peter F. Drucker |
Peter F. Drucker has been a teacher, writer, and adviser to senior executives for more than 50 years. Author of 31 books, including his recently released Management Challenges for the 21st Century, he is honorary chairman of the Drucker Foundation and Clarke Professor of Social Sciences at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. (3/2000) |
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From Leader to Leader, No. 16 Spring 2000 |
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n a few hundred years, when the history of our time will be written from a long-term perspective, it is likely that the most important event historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in the human condition. For the first time -- literally -- substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.
Throughout history, practically nobody had choices. Until about 1900, even in the most highly developed countries, the overwhelming majority followed their father's line of work -- if they were lucky. If your father was a peasant farmer, you were a peasant farmer. If he was a craftsman, you were a craftsman. There was only downward mobility; there was no upward mobility.
Now suddenly a large number of people have choices. What is more, they will have more than one career, because the working life span of people is now close to 60 years -- three times what it was in 1900. People in my executive management program (who are 45 years old on average and very successful) tell me, to a person, "I do not expect to end my career where I am working now."

Abundance of Choices
nowledge gives choice. It also explains why we suddenly...