Born 1942
Tom Peters is a hugely successful management guru, considered by some to be the gurus’ guru.
Peters best known book “In Search of Excellence“, co-authored with Robert Waterman, presents 8 common themes of successful corporations:
- A bias for action – getting on with it.
- Close to the customer – learning from the customer.
- Autonomy and entrepreneurship.
- Productivity through people.
- Hands-on, value-driven – management walk the talk.
- Stick to the knitting – do what you know.
- Simple form, lean staff.
- Simultaneous loose-tight properties – have autonomy in some areas, central ideas/values in others.
These themes were based on consultant company McKinsey’s 7-S model and from analysis of 43 fortune-500 companies. Peters emphasises the role of people, customers and action and the need to move away from Taylor-ist “bean-counters”.
Website: www.TomPetersNew.com
