In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution.

This focus on the making of a contribution is the key. And the key to effectiveness comes in three areas:

1. in a person's work, its content, its level, its standards, and its impacts;

2. in his relationships with others, his superiors, his associates, and his subordinates; and

3. in his use of the tools of the executive, such as meetings and reports.

The executive who focuses on efforts and who stresses his authority downwards is a subordinate no matter how exalted his title and rank might be.

But the executive who focuses on contribution and who takes responsibility for results, no matter how junior he is, is, in the most literal sense of the term, "top management".

And what applies to the good executive applies to the good parent, or the good teacher, or the good spouse, or any person of great responsibility.

People who do not ask themselves, "What can I contribute?" are not only likely to aim too low; they are likely to aim at the wrong things as well.

Above all, they may define their responsibilities too narrowly, like the person who sees something wrong that he can easily and quickly set right, but who says, "That ain't my job, man!"

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

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