Published every two years, the Thinkers50 Ranking is the definitive list of the most influential management thinkers in the world and answers one simple question: who is the world’s most influential living management thinker?
Nominations for the Thinkers50 Ranking are open from May to July in the years that the ranking takes place (odd-numbered years). The public is invited to participate in the online nomination process by submitting the names and qualifications of thinkers they wish to put forward for consideration. Nominations are accepted and encouraged from individuals and organisations across the globe.
All nominations for the Thinkers50 Ranking are considered by the Thinkers50 Panel of Advisors. Each new ranking is announced at the Thinkers50 Awards Gala held in November every other year, culminating in a countdown of the top 10.
The Thinkers50 Ranking uses a proprietary methodology for evaluating management thinking. Thinkers50 founders Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove lead the process, with input and review from the Thinkers50 advisors. The criteria are evaluated on a weighted basis taking account of the thinker’s performance over the long term, as well as over the two years since the previous ranking.
The methodology is organised by two broad concepts: Viability – the quality and relevance of ideas; and Visibility – the influence and impact of ideas in the world. These concepts are quantified using 10 criteria.
VIABILITY (THE 4RS):
VISIBILITY (IMPACT):
Nominations are accepted between 15 May and 31 July.
The father of modern business strategy, and the most cited scholar today in economics and business.
Porter’s “five forces framework” has been the definitive approach to business strategy for decades and is still taught in every business school in the world. His theory of “shared value” has led to a re-evaluation of the role and expectations of capitalism. Porter has devised strategy concepts and economic theory to tackle problems such as market competition, the environment, health care, and economic development. More recently he has demonstrated how new, smart technology will transform competition, with profound implications for society. His 2020 book, The Politics Industry (with Katherine M Gehl), examines America’s dysfunctional political system and identifies concrete action steps to fix it.
The architect of disruptive innovation, twice topped the Thinkers50 rankings, in 2013 and 2011…
Inventors of the ground-breaking “blue ocean strategy”, paving the way for organizations to break out of fixed market boundaries and create a whole new space…
One of the world’s leading authorities on the impact of technology on business and society, pioneer in the advancement of the blockchain…
One of the world’s leading executive educators, coaches, and authors, who was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in 2018.…
Top expert on leadership and innovation, focused on global strategies, and how to harness creativity and engagement for strategic implementation…
Prolific researcher providing valuable insights in strategy, governance, democratic capitalism, and social innovation.
Distinguished authority on leadership and career development, advocating the importance of strategic networks, and the value of collaboration…
Globally recognized expert on strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship; champion of harnessing disruptive influences for competitive advantage…
Recognized expert on the science of motivation, the science of timing, and the business zeitgeist; writes and creates at the intersection of work…
Expert on competitive dynamics and disruptive production, and a powerful voice on the future impact of technology…
Best-selling author, entrepreneur, and business visionary, applying lean business principles to the reinvention of Wall Street…
Leading expert on strategy and innovation, teaches how to facilitate and execute breakthrough ideas to generate growth…
Urbanist, champion of gentrification and the positive role of the “creative class” on city neighbourhood rejuvenation…
The brains behind the world-renowned “business model canvas” – instrumental in helping new businesses put strategy into practice…
Pioneer and champion of psychological safety, studies people, projects and organizations to uncover the secrets of succesful teaming…
Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business…
International branding expert, who has led deep research into the minds of buyers, applying insights from neuroscience to develop the concept of “buyology”…
Strategy professor and renowned globalization expert, renowned for his robust analysis of global trends…
Teresa Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School.
Author, psychologist, and science journalist, Daniel Goleman is best known as the champion of Emotional Intelligence.
Marketing pioneer, unleashing the power of the consumer and the importance of building trust, connections, and positioning in the market place…
Innovation thought leader who launched the “open innovation” paradigm; his research focuses on technology management and innovation strategy…
Specialist in organizational psychology, focusing on originality, motivation, non-conformity, generosity, meaningful work, and success…
Launched into the thought leadership stratosphere in 2014 with The Second Machine Age, their work continues to provide a road-map for success in a digital economy.
Dave Ulrich, a professor at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, at the University of Michigan, has a prodigious output of HR, leadership…
Socratic advisor to leaders, focusing on what makes a business great and not just good; introduced five levels of leadership and the flywheel effect…
“Total leadership” guru, award-winning teacher, and best-selling author who explores how good leadership goes hand in hand with a richer life…
Bureaucracy buster, champion of management revolution, and advocate for innovation as the driver of wealth creation…
Psychologist, with a unique focus on organizational change, and the movement of business from a competitive to a more collaborative work space…
An economist and founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, a non-profit think-tank, Sylvia Ann Hewlett is the author or co-author of 11 books.
Author of the award winning Riding the Waves of Culture, Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (with Charles Hampden-Turner, 1994).
Author, professor, and management theorist, with award-winning work on social networks, collaboration, knowledge management, and corporate innovation…
Leading analyst of the changing workforce, with a focus on generational differences, and how organizations can engage the hearts and minds of their employees…
A highly creative and innovative business professor, teaching courses ranging from happiness, humour, purpose, and empathy to augmented reality…
John Kotter is a world-recognized expert on change management and leadership. He is the Konosuke Matsushita emeritus professor…
World-renowned entrepreneur, creating a unique, innovative, evolving business model that fuses management philosophies of east and west…
“The quality prophet”, and best-selling author on “six sigma” philosophy, with insightful research on how quality affects all levels of business function and public policy….
Lee Kong Chian Professor of Marketing at Singapore Management University & Distinguished Fellow, Emerging Markets Institute at INSEAD.
Award-winning professor renowned for his research on leadership, strategy, and corporate governance and how to become a “superboss”…
Recognised expert on innovation, entrepreneurship, and renewal in large corporations; prolific author making unique contributions on work practices…
Best-selling author, proponent of talent development through leadership, advocates the power of harnessing collective intelligence…
Doug Ready is the founder and CEO of the International Consortium for Executive Development Research and senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Director of Havas Media Lab, founder of Bubblegeneration, and frequent tweeter and contributor to the online Harvard Business Review.
Catalytic questioner and global innovator, exploring how asking the right questions builds leadership and innovation, and drives purposeful change…
Anil K. Gupta is the Michael Dingman Chair in Strategy and Globalization at The University of Maryland at College Park. He is the author of several highly…
Prominent thought leader and strategist on the future of work in the social era, advocating for people in a technology-driven workspace…
Expert on the powers of disruption, and the ways to grasp the opportunities of change, starting with the personal…
Best-selling author, award-winning lecturer, and social psychology expert on the behavioural science of power, presence, and prejudice…
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