“As Long as It Tastes of Miso, It Isn’t Top-Grade”: On Drucker and a Higher State of Work

How do you stay challenged and fulfilled over a long, 40-year career? In this episode, I revisit the management philosophy of Peter Drucker to think about this question. We'll touch on his ideas about the two types of self-development—personal and professional—that he believed are essential for continuous growth.

A central theme comes from a curious quote Drucker used from the philosopher Shinzo Mori: “As long as it tastes of miso, it isn’t top-grade miso.” We'll explore what this means, and how it applies to our work—the idea that the highest state is reached when our own ego disappears and we harmonize perfectly with the task at hand.

This is a short reflection on Drucker's philosophy for a richer professional life, looking at the role of challenge, the importance of failure, and the quiet goal of letting the work speak for itself.