What Must a Manager Bring to the Organization?
Since 2022, four experts from Hyundai Motor Group and external organizations have met online every Monday at 7:00 AM for two hours to read and discuss Peter Drucker’s book Management. Deep insights are shared as each participant’s field experience and perspectives converge. This post was written based on the reading session held on September 22, 2025, regarding Chapter 31: The Manager and His Work.
Introduction: Beyond Conductor to Composer - Is Management a Matter of Genius?
Managers are often compared to orchestra conductors. This is because the role of a manager closely resembles that of a conductor, who harmoniously leads a group of experts on different instruments to achieve the great performance of “music”. Indeed, many famous conductors are active as leadership lecturers.
An interesting point is that the job satisfaction of orchestra musicians is often quite low. As top experts in their respective instruments, they often feel great dissatisfaction at having to play according to the baton of a conductor who may not even know how to handle their specific instrument. A conductor who can lead such a group of proud and often dissatisfied experts to create a wonderful harmony is undoubtedly a great leader.
However, Peter Drucker goes a step further, emphasizing that a manager must not only interpret a given score like a conductor but also perform the role of a “composer” who writes the score themselves. A manager must essentially carry out these two tasks simultaneously. Is management, then, truly the domain of geniuses?
Drucker emphasizes that a manager’s work is by no means an area of innate intuition or inspiration; rather, it is a professional “work” that can be analyzed and learned. Yet, he also states that there is a unique requirement a manager must bring to the role that cannot be acquired through training. We have closely examined and interpreted this claim.
Key takeaways from the Chapter
1. The Two Specific Tasks of a Manager
Creation of a True Whole: The first unique task of a manager is to create a “true whole” that is larger than the sum of its parts. It is like writing and conducting a piece so that the different sounds of orchestra members combine to create a harmony that an individual could never achieve alone.
Harmonizing the Present and the Future: The second task is to harmonize the requirements of the immediate and long-range future in every decision. A manager must maximize current performance while ensuring it serves as the driving force for the future. Today’s most important business could become obsolete in four to five years, but current interests cannot be sacrificed solely for the future.
2. The Work of the Manager: Five Basic Operations
Though these roles seem daunting, they are realized through highly structured “work” rather than mere intuition. Drucker defines the work of the manager through five basic operations:
Setting Objectives / Organizing / Motivating and Communicating / Measurement / Developing People. These activities are areas where anyone can improve performance by learning and improving the right methods.
3. The One Requirement: Character
While much of a manager’s operational competence can be developed, there is one element a manager must bring with them from the start: Character. While knowledge and skills can be learned, “Integrity of Character” is an innate requirement that cannot be taught. A crucial point is that this quality is about character, not personality. Regardless of whether they have a kind or charismatic personality, a manager must apply strict standards to themselves and the organization and focus only on “what is right”.
Discussion: The Meaning of “Integrity of Character”
After the reading, we proactively discussed “What exactly is Integrity of Character?”. Participants shared what this looks like based on their own experiences:
The Leader’s “Default Setting”: Character is not a skill learned through training. A person’s underlying values as a human being naturally emerge in the way they produce results. Therefore, it is a pre-existing requirement a manager must bring into the organization.
Strict Standards and “What is Right”: A leader must apply strict standards to themselves and their subordinates in any situation. As Drucker emphasized, when a problem arises, they focus on “what is right” rather than “who is right”.
Walk the Talk: Members of the organization trust a leader when the principles they advocate match their actual behavior. The final decision a leader makes in a situation with complex interests reveals the depth of their character.
Self-control and “Shindok” (愼獨)*: For a leader with integrity, measurement is a tool for “Self-control” rather than a means to monitor others. Making painful decisions for the 10 or 20-year future of the organization amidst immediate pressure comes from a personal decision of character, often described as “Shindok”—being watchful over oneself when alone. (* “Shindok” (愼獨) is a traditional Eastern philosophy of self-cultivation, meaning “being watchful over oneself when alone.”)
Closing: Ultimately, Management is Self-Management
The most striking keyword during the discussion was ‘Shindok’ (愼獨). Peter Drucker’s concept of integrity of character closely aligns with this very attitude of ‘Shindok.’
No matter how sophisticated they are, management systems and KPIs can never replace a leader’s conscience. When under intense pressure for short-term results, a leader might make a decision that sacrifices the organization’s five-year future to meet immediate targets. Such a choice might even appear flawless within the system. However, a true manager must be able to ask themselves in that solitary moment: “Is this truly the right decision for the future of our organization?”
Ultimately, what determines an organization’s long-term survival is not just the systems in place, but the leader’s integrity of character—the power of ‘Shindok’ to uphold principles and exercise self-discipline even in moments of immense pressure. The moment a leader willingly shoulders this responsibility, they truly step onto the path of a manager.