The business world is fickle and has a short memory. This is especially true in the world of business ideas. New tools and techniques are put to work and then taken for granted as they are incorporated into business life. The quest for novelty and differentiation means that curious business leaders move quickly onto the next big idea. This is reflected in the Thinkers50 Ranking, which is a barometer of the ideas and thinkers making an impact today.
This relentless curiosity is a good thing. But, it can mean that over time the names of those who originated the most innovative business ideas and inspired best practice are overlooked or forgotten. Through the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame we salute the distinguished thinkers whose contributions to management thinking have made it what it is today.
Every year we honour the contribution of a few individuals by inducting them into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. Their names and legacies are added to the ranks of those who have arrived here before them. All are distinguished thinkers who have all made a lasting and vital impact on how organisations are led and managed. They are the giants upon whose shoulders managers and leaders stand.
Thinkers50 Hall of Fame status is at the discretion of the Thinkers50 founders, Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove, and their advisors. It is an honour given in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to management thinking over many years.
Peter Drucker was an American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern corporation. He was also a leader in the development of management education, and he invented the concept known as “management by objectives.” Described as “the founder of modern management,” he is one of the best-known and most widely influential thinkers and writers on management theory and practice.
Marshall Goldsmith is a world-class executive educator, coach, and author. He has been a pioneer in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. His clients have included 150 major CEOs. He has also written or edited 35 books. In his most recent undertaking, Marshall has launched “100 Coaches,” a project designed to pass on his knowledge to the next generation. Participation is free, but all agree that they too will “pay it forward.”
Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. Throughout his career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the toughest problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment, and health care. His research is widely recognized in governments, corporations, NGOs, and academic circles around the globe.
C.K. Prahalad was one of the world’s most influential business thinkers and a teacher at the University of Michigan’s Ross School where he was Distinguished University Professor of Corporate Strategy. His impact on business and business education includes creation of the “Base of the Pyramid” concept, changing the world’s view of India’s economic potential. He also co-authored “The Core Competence of the Corporation,” a watershed article in the field of strategic management.
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
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Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
