What's Next In Management - Thinkers50 Awards

On Monday 13th November, I had the pleasure to participate in the Thinkers50 Gala in London, an event that is considered by the Financial Times the “Oscars” of Management and Leadership thinking. Thinkers50 was the first-ever global ranking of management thinkers. It has been published every two years and remains the premier ranking of its kind. Its mission focuses on identifying, ranking and sharing the best management thinking in the world with the belief that new thinking can create a better future.

I always wondered what it would be like participating at the Oscars and receiving one of the Awards. Well, it happened. 

It was an extraordinary gathering, chaired elegantly by the Thinkers50 founders, Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove, that celebrated the ideas and the minds - nominees and winners - which will likely shape the space of leadership and management in the immediate future and have the power to change the world. No other event in the universe gathers, every two years, so many brilliant minds and attracts so much global media attention. For someone that loves being with inspirational people, being part of it was like my first visit to Disneyland in Orlando many years ago.

The New World's #1 Management Thinkers: Roger Martin 

The big winner of the night was Roger Martin, proclaimed the new #1 Management Thinker. Former dean of University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, he is the author of ten books, including award winners “Playing to Win” and “Getting Beyond Better”. Everybody was pleased as he is a phenomenal person that has contributed significantly to better the management profession and coached many people along the way.

However, there were other stars and friends: Tom Peters, one of the fathers of modern management, who loudly and expressed his anger with the current state of the world. Rita McGrath, on the End of Competitive advantage; Marshall Goldsmith, the world's number one Coach; Nilofer Merchant, with one of the most astonishing careers I have ever seen; Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur, creators of the Business Model Generation; Daniel Pink, whose new book is called “When”, title we project managers know very well; Yuri Van Geest, creator of Exponential Organizations, Dan Pontefract, with the Purpose Factor; Peter Fisk, from GeniusWorks ; Subir Chowdhury, the Quality Prophet; Alf Rehn, innovation guru; Dorie Clark, with "Enterpreneurial You", claiming tha no job is secure; Ricardo Vargas, managing director of Brightline; Sarah Green Carmichae, from HBR, always willing to listen to new ideas around projects; Erin Meyer; Gianpiero Petriglieri; Pankaj Ghemawat; Anil K Gupta & Haiyan Wang; Whitney Johnson; Tammy Erickson; the Corporate Rebels and many others.

It was also great to see my old professors from London Business School, who inspired me during my EMBA to become a thought-leader like them: Lynda Gratton, Herminia Ibarra; Tammy Erickson.

 Thinkers50 Distinguished Awards

 The winners of the Thinkers50 Distinguished Awards are:

• Talent: Amy C. Edmondson
• Ideas into Practice: Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
• Breakthrough Idea: Susan A David.
• Strategy: Richard D'Aveni
• Digital Thinking: Don and Alex Tapscott
• Innovation: Scott Anthony
• Leadership: Hal Gregersen
• Radar: Amy Webb 

And many congratulations to all of

It was an extraordinary honour to receive the “Ideas into Practice” Award.

In sixteen years of Thinkers50, since its launch in 2001, the topic of project management had never been selected for any of the awards. When I first came across this world-class ranking, three years ago, I set myself the goal that one day, project management, will be recognised by Thinnkers50 as one of the most strategic competencies and management tools in our age.

On that day, I realised once again, that there are few things more enjoyable in life than when a dream becomes a reality.

Thanks again for your support, and even more important, thank you for the work you do to move forward the project management profession. I do sincerely hope that now that the glass ceiling has been broken other project management experts will follow!

Stay well, stay focused.

Antonio, Project Management Champion to the World

Related articles on the Thinkers50 gala event:

• Forbes: Thinking About The 2017 Thinkers50 Gala
• LBS academics named in Thinkers50 list
• Dialogue: home to the most influential management thinkers on Earth
• HBR: Die Oscars Des

@LondonBusinessSchool @HarvardBusinessSchool @ColumbiaUniversity @UniversityofToronto @RotmanSchoolofManagement @FinancialTimes @HarvardBusinessReview #Thinkers50 #Management #Project #ProjectManager #projectmanagement #betterworld

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez (www.antonionietorodriguez.com) is the world's leading champion of Project Management and Strategy Implementation. He is the creator of concepts such as the Hierarchy of Purpose, featured by Harvard Business Review, or the Project Manifesto; which argue that projects are the lingua franca of the business and personal worlds from the C-suite to managing your career or relationships.

Antonio's research and global impact in modern management been recognized by Thinkers50 with the prestigious award "Ideas into Practice". 

He is the author of the best-selling book The Focused Organization*; has taught at leading business schools, including Duke CE, IE Business School, Solvay, Vlerick and Skolkovo; has been featured in several magazines, including The Economist, Singapore Management Institute, and Strategy Business Review. Antonio is a much in demand speaker at events worldwide. Over the past 15 years, he has presented at more than 160 conferences around the world, regularly evaluated as the best speaker. 

A pioneer and leading authority in teaching strategy execution and project management to senior executives at top Business Schools; currently visiting at Duke CE, Instituto de Empresa, Solvay, Vlerick, Ecole des Ponts and Skolkovo. 

Born in Madrid, Spain, and educated in Germany, Mexico, Italy and the United States, Antonio has an MBA from London Business School and is fluent in six languages. 

* use the 50% discount promotional code 'FO230'