Drucker Societies converge on Claremont to learn how Drucker’s teachings are being applied across the globe

Representatives from 10 countries converged on the Drucker Institute for a three-day symposium in late June, all united by a common purpose: to further the legacy of Peter F. Drucker.

The inaugural Drucker Society Global Symposium convened leaders from countries with well-established Drucker Society chapters, such as South Korea, China and Japan. They were joined by those from other nations—Australia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.S.—who are planning to soon launch or expand such societies.

Each society has a different focus. In South Korea, for instance, top corporate executives gather regularly to read Drucker’s work and discuss how it can be adopted to improve their companies and communities. In the U.S., meanwhile, those inspired by Drucker’s principles are hoping to use them as a foundation to attack a range of social problems, including alarmingly high high-school dropout rates.

At the symposium, attendees shared how their societies are organized and their goals for the future.
“We don’t want to dictate what these societies’ agendas should be, as they all have different ways to apply Peter’s thinking,” said Rick Wartzman, director of the Drucker Institute. “The important thing is that they’re all using Peter’s teachings as a prism through which to examine some of the most significant issues of the day.”

Ira Jackson, dean of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management and a member of the Institute’s Board of Advisors, found a great deal of hope in the symposium. The gathering, he said, was one sign that “globalization may yet become a ‘race to the top’ in which responsible business leaders join with government and nongovernmental organizations in creating a rising tide that lifts many more boats and allows for sustainable growth and a better chance for the next generation.”

For more on the activities of the world’s Drucker Societies—and to find out how to start a chapter of your own—click here.