Large organizations cannot be versatile. A large organization is effective through its mass rather than through its agility. Fleas can jump many times their own height, but not an elephant. -- The Age of Discontinuity (1969)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Drucker claims large organizations lack agility, relying on mass rather than flexibility, likening them to elephants versus fleas.
- In plain terms
- Big firms are powerful but not nimble.
- What can you take from it?
- Size trades off agility.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What structures help large firms stay flexible?
- Can technology offset size constraints?
Another view
Some large firms achieve agility through innovative processes.
More from Peter F. Drucker
Morale in an organization does not mean that 'people get along together'; the test is performance not conformance. -- The Effective Executive (1966)
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