THE THINKERS50

Nominate for the Radar Class of 2021

As we were compiling our selection of 30 thinkers to watch in 2020, we heard the sad news of the death of Clay Christensen. Clay was number one in the Thinkers50 rankings of 2011 and 2013 and, more recently, was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. He was without doubt one of the most intellectually gifted thinkers we have ever met. He was also a genuine and humble man.

In his office at Harvard Business School he had a sign that said “anomalies welcome”. When we asked him about it, he explained that he wanted people to challenge his theory of Disruptive Innovation with data that didn’t fit or couldn’t be explained by it. It was only through anomalies he said that a theory could be improved. Clay cared about anomalies because he wanted to make his work more robust and more useful. At a time when many of those in high positions prefer to ignore difficult truths, Clay welcomed them with an open mind.

We hope that in their very different ways our Thinkers50 Radar class of 2020 carry on the truth-telling, world-enhancing, open-minded work of Clay Christensen. They are very big footsteps to follow in.

The objective of the Thinkers50 Radar is to bring an eclectic and compelling group of thinkers to the attention of the broader audience of managers and leaders in organizations worldwide.

The 30 thinkers are truly global in reach and aspiration. And they are tackling the big issues of our times with rigour and energy. We salute them, look forward to watching their ideas develop and hope that they succeed in putting a dent in the universe.