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Management guru Peter Drucker, who died in 2005 at age 95, was not only a teacher, consultant, and prolific writer, but a world traveler and expert in Japanese art who believed his widely varying interests enriched everything he did. In his book, Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life, author Bruce Rosenstein distills self-management wisdom from his interviews with Drucker as well as Drucker’s extensive writings. Here’s an excerpt:
Knowledge workers … need to develop, preferably while they are still young, a noncompetitive life and community of their own, and some serious outside interest—be it working as a volunteer in the community, playing in the local orchestra, or taking an active part in a small town’s local government.
—Peter Drucker with Joseph A. Maciariello, Management: Revised Edition, 2008
Living in more than one world can be an excellent strategy for many professionals. Consider each possibility in a variety of dimensions. Think continually of your options, while being mindful of possible pitfalls and drawbacks. This kind of life is rewarding, but it takes time and effort. There will inevitably be periods of frustration, but you’d have those anyway if you were living in just one world.
There are many advantages to adding other dimensions to your life. Drucker often pointed out that you could obtain leadership opportunities and experience that might not be available in your present job by volunteering in a nonprofit organization. You can combine leadership opportunities with work-related fulfillment by pursuing leadership positions within professional organizations related to your work. If you have more than one dimension to your work with a parallel career, you have multiple chances for these kinds of positions. Professional organizations are often desperate for people who will take the lead in committees, annual conferences, and so on. You can develop yourself as a person and as a professional while giving back to your professiona and helping others.
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