Clayton M Christensen, Harvard Business School’s Kim B Clark Professor of Business Administration – and a global expert on innovation and growth – addressed audiences of church-goers, ecclesiastical leaders, Mormon missionaries and opinion-makers during a tour in the UK including two appearances at the British Parliament, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
- Clayton M Christensen duirng a presentation in London
- Clayton Christensen at a presentation on his UK visit
- Clayton M Christensen at a recent presentation in London
- Clayton Christensens speaks twice at UK Houses of Parliament
- Clayton M Christensen during a presentation in London
- Sister Grant singing at a Missionary training meeting with Professor Christensen
- Sister Christine Christensen (L) with Sister Jean Stevens (London Mission)
- Brother and Sister Christensen greeting attendees
- Clayton Christensen at a presentation on his UK visit
- Brother Clayton Christensen speaking at Sunday Devotional at the Hyde Park Chapel
- Missionary sisters at a recent Clayton M Christensen visit to London
- Lord Sheikh speaks at a lecture by Professor Christensen in London
- Professor Christensen at a lecture in London
- David Rutley MP welcoming Clayton Christensen to The House of Commons Boothroyd Room
- Professor Christensen addressing Lords, MPs, business leaders and academics at The House of Lords
- Clayton M Christensen with his wife Christine in Oxford
- Professor Christensen at a meeting at Oxford
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New York Times best-selling author Professor Christensen, voted ‘the most influential living management thinker in the world’, spoke at six events during his one week visit to the United Kingdom. He was accompanied by his wife Christine whose presentations drew from a rich array of their life experiences.
Speaking at a Parliamentary Breakfast hosted by Lord Mohamed Sheikh (9 September), Professor Christensen combined what he described as “two streams of thought – the national dilemma and the need to feel needed,” as he highlighted that “something has gone wrong with our economy that causes us not to create jobs.” “The problem is that we measure success in ‘ratios’…we have invested less and less of our capital in innovations that create jobs.”
“Involvement in innovation is what creates growth”, he continued. Market-creating innovations [such as the development of the smartphone] are “the kinds of innovations that create growth.”
Focussing on “the need to feel needed”, Professor Christensen described the time he attended the Latter-day Saints Oxford church in the 1970s when he was a Rhodes Scholar. “What changed my life was the Mormon [congregation] in Oxford”, then numbering only about 40 worshippers. He was spurred on by the love and unity of the group and being invited to serve with them.
“There is an interdependence between growth and the need to be needed.” Professor Christensen emphasised that this principle applies to individuals as well as to countries and companies.
Clayton M Christensen also spoke at a Parliamentary meeting (8 September) attended by 150 people including Members of Parliament and business leaders, hosted by David Rutley MP. Attendees included Barry Sheerman MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Management. UK-based ecclesiastical leader Elder Clifford T Herbertson, Area Seventy, conducted on behalf of the Church.