Michael Porter
Michael Porter revolutionized corporate strategy thinking and transformed how businesses understand competition. As Harvard Business School's Bishop William Lawrence University Professor since 1973, he introduced frameworks that became the universal language of strategic planning. His Five Forces model redefined competitive analysis by revealing the hidden dynamics shaping industry profitability. Porter's concept of competitive advantage showed companies how to create sustainable market positions through either cost leadership or differentiation—a deceptively simple insight that challenged decades of conventional wisdom. His value chain analysis gave executives X-ray vision into their operations' strategic anatomy. Beyond academia, Porter advised governments worldwide on economic competitiveness and healthcare strategy. He's authored 19 books and over 125 articles, earning recognition as the most influential management thinker alive. Porter didn't just study strategy—he essentially invented modern strategic thinking, giving business leaders the mental models that separate winning companies from everyone else.
