Who Is Clayton?

Clayton is just a name. But in the world of business strategy, Clayton Christensen (no relation) looms large.

Clayton M. Christensen was a Harvard Business School professor and one of the most influential management thinkers of his generation. Born in Salt Lake City in 1952, he earned degrees from BYU, Oxford (as a Rhodes Scholar), and Harvard Business School, where he later became a beloved and transformational professor.

He is best known for developing the theory of disruptive innovation — the idea that smaller companies with fewer resources can challenge and eventually displace established incumbents. His 1997 book, The Innovator's Dilemma, introduced this concept to the world and became one of the most cited and celebrated business books ever written.

Photo credit: Betsy Weber

Christensen's work fundamentally changed how leaders think about competition, technology, and the risks of success. Companies like Intel, Apple, and Netflix cited his frameworks as central to their strategic thinking. The Economist called him "the most influential management thinker of his time."

Beyond disruption, Christensen wrote extensively about how individuals and organizations make decisions — and how the same analytical rigor applied to business strategy could be applied to building a meaningful life. His book How Will You Measure Your Life? became a personal manifesto for thousands of executives and students.

He was a man of deep faith, extraordinary warmth, and rare intellectual clarity. He passed away in January 2020, but his ideas — and his students — continue to shape business thinking around the world.