A Class with Drucker - Headway | Work on yourself

74 ■ A CLASS WITH DRUCKER
art. I do not know if he was considered a world expert in this other field.
I do know that he was the author of The Zen Expressionists: Paintings of the
Japanese Counterculture 1600–1800 (Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery,
Scripps College, 1982).
Master More than One Discipline
After his story, <strong>Drucker</strong> went on to tell us that it was essential that business
executives master at least two disciplines, and that one of them must
be outside of the field of business. He said this was important in the preparation
of an executive for higher responsibilities because, like the corporate
attorney suddenly elevated to general management, one never knew
what future responsibilities might be thrust upon one unexpectedly.
Expertise in more than one field was good training for sudden responsibilities
in yet another field, and was the only evidence that the manager was
capable of mastering more than one discipline.
Peter said that mastering at least two disciplines would have a number
of beneficial effects. First, the executive would have the self-confidence
of knowing that he was not limited to a single field. That he could,
if called upon, do something entirely different, and do it well. Moreover,
<strong>Drucker</strong> continued, “Great advances in any field rarely come from a single
discipline. Rather, they come from advances in one discipline being
transplanted to another sphere, which is totally unfamiliar <strong>with</strong> these
procedures, ideas, or methods which have never been applied to problems
in this other domain.”
It was clear to me that mastering a second discipline was intended to help
prepare the future high-level leader handle new and higher responsibilities.
This would be part of the preparation needed for the high-level leaders to
competently deal <strong>with</strong> situations <strong>with</strong> which he was previously unfamiliar.
I tried to follow <strong>Drucker</strong>’s suggestion in my own career and I discovered
his recommendation to be valuable advice. Moreover, I found another
major advantage he did not mention. When frustrations, setbacks, and
increased challenges in my profession sometimes seemed overwhelming, I
was able to lose myself in my alternate arena of expertise and responsibilities.
This somehow refreshed me so that I was able to go back and do battle
in the other area <strong>with</strong> renewed vigor and determination. An even
deeper understanding of the value of this lesson for success as a senior
executive was to come.