“People change over such a long time span. They become different persons with different needs, different abilities, different perspectives and therefore, with a need to “reinvent themselves.” —Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, identified the need for reinvention 30 years ago, at the age of 86. The above quote is from the chapter “Reinventing the Individual” in Drucker on Asia, a book published in Japan in 1995 and in the United States two years later.
Pause a moment to reflect on the words: The person you aim to reinvent is who you are today, not some younger versions of yourself. You must reinvent yourself for new personal/professional circumstances and how they fits into the larger picture of your life, now and for the future. What you learned in school, your personal history, and your professional experience got you to this point. Now you can consider new ways of learning and new things to experience.
In Drucker’s conception, reinvention should be bold and exciting. It probably entails something more than finding a new job, although that can be a component, especially in starting a new career. Reinvention requires introspection, creativity, curiosity, diligence, the desire for change, and the willingness to reach out to others for information, advice, and connections.
Organizing for Reinvention
Reinvention can be less daunting if it’s approached in an organized way. As you contemplate, plan, and begin your reinvention, keep in mind:
- While initial goals, passions, and ideas for potential reinventions are helpful, keep an open mind for the discovery of new and unexpected possibilities. Start by gathering information, in a notebook or journal devoted to reinvention or a dedicated computer file; outline your strengths, interests, skills, experiences, values, and more.
- Identify people, whether or not you personally know them, who can be inspirations or somehow involved in your process and journey: role models, heroes, sponsors, mentors, support networks, subject matter experts, coaches, and the like. They can bring a variety of viewpoints and perspectives about new fields of interest. Learn from LinkedIn profiles about how others went about their personal/professional journeys and reinventions.
- Search online (including artificial intelligence, videos, books, articles, and podcasts) for relevant information about potential new fields, and about reinvention itself. The search can encompass upcoming conferences from professional associations, seminars, workshops, networking events, speaker events, brown bags, and lifelong learning programs. Consider possibilities for new degrees and/or certificates from universities, community colleges, companies, boot camps for intensive learning, and other outlets.
- Consider potential professional opportunities through job shadowing, volunteering, internships, and informational interviews.
- Visit unfamiliar museums, libraries, and art galleries to provide new perspectives and edge out of your comfort zone. Attend lectures about unfamiliar topics. Commit to an ongoing reinvention practice and process, intentionally meeting new people, learning new things, and not getting too discouraged if your reinvention takes longer than you envisioned. Be persistent but also patient.
Drucker’s Own Reinventions
Drucker was no stranger to reinvention. He faced the necessity to reinvent himself when he came to the United States in 1937 at the age of 28. Although he started working as a journalist, as he had previously done in Europe, he nevertheless had to perform in a new country, finding new outlets for his work. His journalistic pursuits came not long after he left what could have been a promising (though unsatisfying) career in banking.
Two years after arriving in the U.S.,, he further reinvented himself as an author, with his first book, The End of Economic Man. Then came teaching, initially at Sarah Lawrence College, followed by his early work as a consultant. He continued to engage in these activities until not long before his death at 95 in 2005, though in constantly changing ways, at different places, and with a variety of people and organizations.
Reinventors in Drucker’s Circle
Drucker was so attuned to reinvention not only through personal experience but also because many people in his circle were reinventors. The most prominent example was his wife of 68 years, Doris Drucker, who lived to 103. She reinvented herself in her 80s and 90s as an inventor (of a sound amplification device); as well as an entrepreneur and author of Invent Radium or I’ll Pull Your Hair: A Memoir.
Initially, Peter Drucker worked as a pro bono consultant, starting with Frances Hesselbein when she was CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, in the 1980s. After retiring at 75, she reinvented herself as the co-founder of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, now the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum. Hesselbein, who died at the age of 107 in 2022, later continued a parallel reinvention as the author of several well-regarded books on leadership.
One of Hesselbein’s co-founders of the foundation was Bob Buford, a longtime Drucker confidante and associate. After a successful career as a cable television executive, Buford reinvented himself in social entrepreneurship, as the founder of two personal growth-related nonprofits, the Halftime Institute and Leadership Network. One of his main concerns was reinvention in the second half of life, captured in books Halftime and Stuck in Halftime, both with forewords by Drucker. Buford, who died at 78 in 2018, later became founding chairman of the Drucker Institute and in 2014 wrote the deeply personal book Drucker & Me.
Conclusion
Reinvention is likely to be an ongoing process, with no clear finish line. As life expectancies expand, you may have the desire or necessity to reinvent yourself more than once. If approached with the proper mindset, the ability to reinvent yourself could become one of your lifelong signature strengths.
