Page 220 - The Drucker Lectures

Managing Oneself [ 201

Not one of them has even asked that question. On the contrary,
most of them are very proud of their ignorance. You have those
human relations people who are exceedingly proud of the fact
that they can’t read a balance sheet. Yet if you want to be effec-
tive today, you have to be able to read one. On the other hand,
there are the accountants who are equally proud of the fact that
they can’t get along with human beings. Well, that’s nothing to
be proud of. It is something to be ashamed of, because you can
learn that. It’s not very hard to learn “please” and “thank you,”
and manners is what makes you get along with people.
And then I say, “Do you know how you do your work?” Well,
most people know whether they are morning people or evening
people. Most. But very few know whether they’re readers or lis-
teners. And yet the world is divided that way. If you want to
know why Eisenhower was such a successful general and such
an unsuccessful president, it is that he was a superb reader, and
he succeeded as president two listeners, Roosevelt and Truman.
And he insisted on trying to be a listener. But he didn’t hear. He
had to read. And on the other hand, Lyndon Johnson, who was
a superb listener like any Parliamentarian, could not read at all.
His eyes glazed over; he had to hear it. And Eisenhower didn’t
know it. And very few of my students know it. And none of my
clients know it. And yet it makes an enormous difference. All
you have to do is tell people, “Look, I’m a listener. Before you
give me that darn report, tell me what’s in it.” Or, “I’m a reader,
and before you give a long song and dance, give me a page or two
to read.” Nobody knows that.
Likewise, very few people know where they belong, what
kind of temperament they have, what kind of person they are.
Do they belong in a big organization? I have one member of
my family, my youngest daughter, who functions in a big orga-
nization. The rest of my family, not one of us can function in a
big organization. Very few people know this. Do I work with