Skills of an Effective Administrator

Although the selection and training of good administrators is widely recognized as one of American industry’s most pressing problems, there is surprisingly little agreement among executives or educators on what makes a good administrator. The executive development programs of some of the nation’s leading corporations and colleges reflect a tremendous variation in objectives. At the […]

by

Robert L. Katz

by

Robert L. Katz

From the Magazine (September 1974)

Although the selection and training of good administrators is widely recognized as one of American industry’s most pressing problems, there is surprisingly little agreement among executives or educators on what makes a good administrator. The executive development programs of some of the nation’s leading corporations and colleges reflect a tremendous variation in objectives.

A version of this article appeared in the September 1974 issue of Harvard Business Review.

RK

At the time this article was written, Mr. Katz was assistant professor at the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College. Since then he has taught in the graduate schools of business at Harvard and Stanford, written three textbooks, and helped found five industrial or financial companies. Until recently he was president and chief executive officer of U.S. Natural Resources, Inc. Now he heads a consulting firm specializing in corporate strategy and is a director of a number of publicly held corporations.

Skills of an Effective Administrator

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