The Practical Drucker

CHAPTER  |  FIFTEEN

Above All, Do No Harm

As I've mentioned earlier in this book, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates came up with a cautionary note for physicians seeking to improve the state of their patients: “Above all, do no harm,” or, if you prefer the Latin, primum non nocere. In a typical habit of taking something from one field and applying it to another, Drucker incorporated this phrase into his recommendations for the business manager. I suspect that he may have made the connection with consultants before he thought of applying it to all managers, since he himself was a practicing consultant and also because consultants are sometimes referred to as “business doctors.” However, before we adopt this advice, it's well to understand ...