Clayton Christensen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clayton Christensen
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Christensen at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2013
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Clayton Magleby Christensen
April 6, 1952 |
| Died | January 23, 2020 (aged 67) |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University (B.A.) Queen's College, Oxford (M.Phil.) Harvard University (MBA, DBA) |
| Known for | "Disruption" and "disruptive innovation" concepts, The Innovator's Dilemma |
Clayton Magleby Christensen (April 6, 1952 – January 23, 2020) was an American professor and business expert. He created the idea of "disruptive innovation". This idea is about how new, simpler, or cheaper products and services can completely change an industry. Many people think it's one of the most important business ideas of the early 21st century.
Christensen first shared his "disruption" idea in his 1997 book, The Innovator's Dilemma. This book made The Economist magazine call him "the most influential management thinker of his time." He was a professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (HBS). He was also a leader and writer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Christensen helped start Rose Park Advisors, a company that invests in new businesses. He also co-founded Innosight, a company that helps other businesses with new ideas.
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Early Life and Education
Clayton Christensen was born on April 6, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the second of eight children. He grew up in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. He went to West High School, where he was the student body president. Clayton and his siblings were raised in the LDS Church.
Christensen was a very tall basketball player, standing 6 feet 8 inches. He later became the starting center for the men's basketball team when he studied there.
Choosing a University
After high school in 1970, Christensen was accepted into Harvard University, Yale University, and Brigham Young University (BYU). He decided to pray about which university to choose. He felt a clear feeling to attend BYU, which had given him a full scholarship.
At BYU, he studied economics. In his first economics class, he was classmates with Mitt Romney, who later ran for U.S. president. He was also with Kim B. Clark, who later became a dean at Harvard Business School.
Missionary Service
While at BYU, Christensen took two years off, from 1971 to 1973. He served as a volunteer full-time missionary for the LDS Church. He was sent to South Korea and learned to speak Korean very well. After his mission, he returned to BYU. In 1975, he graduated with high honors in economics.
Studying at Oxford and Harvard
After BYU, Christensen won a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship. He spent two years studying at Oxford University's Queen's College. He earned a master's degree in 1977. While at Oxford, he played on the men's basketball team. They won two British university championships.
Christensen then came back to the United States. He attended the Harvard Business School. He earned his master's degree in business (MBA) with high honors in 1979.
Career Highlights
After getting his MBA in 1979, Christensen started working for Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He was a consultant and project manager there. In 1982, he was chosen as a White House Fellow. This meant he took a year off from BCG to work in Washington, D.C.. He helped the United States Secretary of Transportation.
In 1984, he and some professors started a company called Ceramics Process Systems Corporation. Christensen was its president and CEO for several years. Then, he decided to become a university professor. He went back to Harvard for more studies in business. He earned his doctorate degree in 1992. After that, he joined the Harvard Business School as a professor. He became a "full" professor very quickly, in just six years.
Business Ventures
In 2000, he founded Innosight LLC. This company helps businesses with new ideas and training. In 2005, he launched Innosight Ventures with his team. This company invests in businesses in Asia. In 2007, he co-founded Rose Park Advisors LLC. This investment company uses his research ideas to make smart investments. It was named after the neighborhood where he grew up.
Christensen also served on the boards of directors for several companies. These included Tata Consultancy Services and Franklin Covey. He also helped the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
Teaching and Writing
At Harvard Business School, he taught a popular course he created. It was called "Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise." This class taught students how to build and manage a successful company. He also taught in many of the school's programs for business leaders. Christensen became a full professor in 1998. He received many honorary doctorates and an honorary professorship in Taiwan.
Christensen wrote ten best-selling books. His most famous book is The Innovator's Dilemma (1997). It won an award for the best business book of the year. The main idea in this book is disruptive innovation. This idea has become very popular. Because it was often misunderstood, Christensen wrote many articles to explain it better.
Some of his other books focused on specific areas. Disrupting Class (2008) looked at why schools struggle and offered solutions. The Innovator's Prescription (2009) explored how to improve the American healthcare system. Both books won awards as the best books in their fields. In 2017, Christensen predicted that many colleges in the U.S. might close down in the future.
Personal Life
Clayton Christensen married Christine Quinn in 1976. They had five children: three sons named Matthew, Michael, and Spencer, and two daughters named Ann and Catherine. Their oldest son, Matthew, was on the Duke University basketball team that won the National Championship in 2001.
As a member of the LDS Church, Christensen served as a missionary in Korea from 1971 to 1973. He spoke fluent Korean. He held several leadership roles in the church. He was an area seventy from 2002 to 2009. He also served as a counselor in a mission presidency and as a bishop. His book, The Power of Everyday Missionaries, taught people how everyone can share their faith. He also helped create a book about the history of the LDS Church in New England.
In February 2010, Christensen was diagnosed with a type of cancer called follicular lymphoma. In July 2010, he had a stroke that affected his speech. He needed speech therapy to recover. In 2011, Christensen published two more books: The Innovative University and The Innovator’s DNA. Clayton Christensen passed away on January 23, 2020, at the age of 67, due to complications from leukemia.
Honors and Awards
- In 2011, Forbes magazine called him "one of the most influential business theorists of the last 50 years."
- He was ranked number 1 in the Thinkers 50 list in both 2011 and 2013. This is a very important ranking of management thinkers.
- In 2017, he was ranked number 3 in the Thinkers 50.
- He received the Herbert Simon Award in 2014.
- In 2015, he was given an Edison Achievement Award for his dedication to innovation.
- He received the Distinguished Service Award from Brigham Young University in 2015.
