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TO BE ANNOUNCED SEPTEMBER 2026
Every two years, Thinkers50 publishes the Leaders50, a unique list of 50 inspiring leaders from organisations worldwide.
Nominations for the Leaders50 are sourced exclusively from the Thinkers50 Ranked Thinkers and recipients of the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Awards – the experts, scholars, and authors who define today’s management and leadership thinking.
In 2026, the Leaders50 will be published in September, with those named to the list honoured at the Thinkers50 London Summit & Leaders50 Awards Gala on 2 November. And for the first time, this prestigious event will also introduce the Leaders50 Distinguished Achievement Awards, recognising the exceptional achievements of practising leaders across select award categories.
TO BE ANNOUNCED 2 NOVEMBER 2026
The Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Awards have been described by the Financial Times as The Oscars of Management Thinking. Like the Oscars, they are highly prestigious and are presented at a Gala event attended by many of industry’s leading figures.
To mark its 25th Anniversary, this year Thinkers50 is introducing a new set of accolades: the Leaders50 Distinguished Achievement Awards, recognising the exceptional achievements of practising leaders.
In partnership with Origina
This award honours leaders who use technology not simply to drive efficiency, but to amplify human capability, creativity, and contribution – creating lasting value for their organisations and society.
It recognises leadership that attracts and nurtures talent through:
Purpose: using technology to improve how people work, contribute, and develop.
People: involving employees in change, and supporting them with the skills and confidence they need.
Impact: creating clear value for people and the organisation.
Responsibility: considering the effects of technology on trust, fairness, inclusion, and jobs.
Sponsored by Deloitte
This award honours leaders who act with honesty, consistency, and courage, particularly when facing pressure, uncertainty, or difficult choices. Their leadership builds trust and creates lasting value for organisations and society.
It celebrates leadership demonstrated through:
Values: making decisions that consistently reflect clear principles.
Courage: doing what is right, even when it is difficult or comes at a cost.
Trust: building confidence through honesty, openness, and accountability.
Impact: creating positive and lasting outcomes for the organisation, its people, and wider society.
In partnership with LHH
This award honours leaders who consistently attract exceptional talent and bring out the best in others. Through their personal leadership style and commitment to developing people, they turn their organisations into talent magnets – creating workplaces and cultures that people want to join, and where they can grow, contribute, and stay.
It celebrates leadership demonstrated through:
Attraction: creating a strong sense of purpose, culture, and opportunity that attracts exceptional people.
Development: helping people build their skills, confidence, and careers.
Belonging: creating an inclusive environment where different people can contribute and thrive.
Impact: turning individual and collective talent into lasting value for people and the organisation.
In partnership with Ross School of Business Executive Education, University of Michigan
This award honours exceptional change agents who successfully lead significant organisational transformation. They mobilise and motivate people to make a lasting impact on the culture and operation of their organisations.
It celebrates leadership demonstrated through:
Vision: identifying what needs to change, and setting a clear direction.
Mobilisation: bringing people together around the transformation.
Motivation: inspiring people to make change happen.
Impact: achieving significant and lasting organisational change.
In partnership with ICF
This award honours individuals who have made a significant innovation to the practice of leadership. Their contribution changes how we understand and think about the role of leaders within organisations and society.
It celebrates leadership demonstrated through:
Originality: introducing a genuinely new idea, method, or model of leadership.
Practice: turning that innovation into an approach that can be applied in practice.
Influence: changing how others understand, discuss, or practise leadership.
Impact: making a meaningful contribution to organisations and society.
This award recognises an exceptional contribution to thought leadership by a practitioner in the leadership domain. It highlights a book, white paper, research, or other initiative that has made a significant addition to our understanding of contemporary leadership theory and/or practice.
It recognises leadership demonstrated through:
Originality: offering unique insights, deep knowledge, and progressive ideas about leadership to expand the boundaries of current thinking.
Concept: conceptualising a theory or approach to leadership that can be applied in practice.
Influence: changing how others understand, discuss, or practise leadership.
Impact: making a meaningful contribution to our understanding of the theory and practice of leadership.
The Leaders50 Succession Award, in partnership with Lidl, presented by Martin Lindstrom, identifies future leaders from unconventional backgrounds and gives them unexpected opportunities to develop. By looking beyond credentials and traditional career pathways, it recognises leaders before their potential is obvious and provides early access to meaningful leadership experiences.
Celebrating the 2026 Leaders50 and announcing the inaugural Leaders50 Distinguished Achievement Awards
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Contact us at:
enquiries@thinkers50.com
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Contact us at:
enquiries@thinkers50.com
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Contact us at:
enquiries@thinkers50.com
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