important, that is, on contributions and results, even though the criteria are not found in the flow of events.

The surface goes up with the square of the radius,

They know that they have no choice but to do first things first—and second things not at all. The alternative is to get nothing done.

They never have learned that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work.

This is particularly true of the United States. The only resource in respect to which America can possibly have a competitive advantage is education.

always in exceedingly short supply. Time is totally irreplaceable. Within limits we can substitute one resource for another, copper for aluminum, for instance. We can substitute capital for human labor. We can use more knowledge or more brawn. But there is no substitute for time.

1. Effective executives know where their time goes. They work systematically at managing the little of their time that can be brought under their control.

Effectiveness thus deserves high priority because of the needs of organization. It deserves even greater priority as the tool of the executive and as his access to achievement and performance.

Effective executives differ widely in their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. All they have in common is that they get the right things done. Some are born effective. But the demand is much too great to be satisfied by extraordinary talent. Effectiveness is a discipline. And, like every discipline, effectiveness can be lear