Critical to the success of every organization, strategy is not a long planning exercise or document. Strategy can be simple, fun and effective and is founded on a set of five interrelated and powerful choices that positions an organization to win.
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Integrative thinking is a form of reasoning which allows you to constructively face the tensions of opposing models. Instead of choosing one at the expense of the other, you generate a creative solution. Your solution contains elements of the individual models, but is superior to each.
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Organizations need to incorporate the best of design thinking into their ways of working to unleash innovation and creativity. An organization will be able to counter-balance analytical thinking with intuitive thinking – to enable it to both exploit existing knowledge and create new knowledge.
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While prevailing theory holds that stock-based compensation perfectly aligns corporate executives’ incentives with those of shareholders, it does the opposite. As a consequence, executives have done brilliantly while shareholders have become increasingly frustrated. Incentives and governance practice needs to be transformed to enable corporations to prosper in a way that better serves society.
More on Incentives & Governance
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The combination of the stagnation of medium incomes and the rapid rise of high incomes is threatening the future of democratic capitalism. Its predictive future requires building a more robust knowledge, transactional and physical infrastructure for broadly shared prosperity.
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For both social entrepreneurs and corporations, the key tenet of social innovation is finding ways to make the world a better place. My work focuses on building tools for social entrepreneurs to create more powerful models for creating value for society and developing models to guide corporations on a path of productive corporate citizenship.
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Thinker Author Advisor Speaker
Meet Roger
Meet the Team
Let's Read
A New Way to Think
When More is Not Better
Creating Great Choices
The Rise (and Likely Fall) of the Talent Economy
Getting Beyond Better
Playing To win
Canada: What it is, what it can be
Fixing the Game
The Design Of Business
The Opposable Mind
The Responsibility Virus
Dia-Minds
The Future of the MBA
Rotman on Design
Let's Engage
Thought Pillars
Thinker Author Advisor Speaker
In 2017, Roger was named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50, a biannual ranking of the most influential global business thinkers.
Roger is a trusted strategy advisor to the CEOs of companies worldwide including Procter & Gamble, Lego, Ford, BHP & Verizon
Roger Martin is a Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto where he served as Dean from 1998-2013, Academic Director of the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship from 2004-2019 and Institute Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute from 2013-2019. In 2013, he was named global Dean of the Year by the leading business school website, Poets & Quants.
His newest book is A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Managerial Effectiveness (Harvard Business Review Press, 2022). His previous twelve books include When More is Not Better (HBRP, 2020), Creating Great Choiceswritten with Jennifer Riel (HBRP, 2017) Getting Beyond Betterwritten with Sally Osberg (HBRP, 2015) and Playing to Win written with A.G. Lafley (HBRP, 2013), which won the award for Best Book of 2012-13 by the Thinkers50. He has written 30 Harvard Business Review articles.
Roger received his BA from Harvard College, with a concentration in Economics, in 1979 and his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1981. He lives in South Florida with his wife, Marie-Louise Skafte.
A New Way to Think
When More is Not Better
Creating Great Choices
The Rise (and Likely Fall) of the Talent Economy
Getting Beyond Better
Playing To win
Canada: What it is, what it can be
Fixing the Game
The Design Of Business
The Opposable Mind
The Responsibility Virus
Dia-Minds
The Future of the MBA
Rotman on Design
Contact Roger through Twitter or email. Call us to book a speaking engagement or other services.
Roger is available for keynote and other speaking engagements. Advisory services and team workshops can also be booked with Roger.
Articles
Peter Drucker in the 21st Century
November 25, 2024
Harvard Business Review
What Managers Get Wrong About Capital
May-June 2020
Washington Post
The virus shows that making our companies efficient also made our country weak
March 27, 2020
Harvard Business Review
The One Thing You Need to Know About Managing Functions
July-August 2019
Harvard Business Review
January-February 2019
Rotman Magazine
Creating Great Choices: Integrative Thinking for Leaders
Winter 2018
Harvard Business Review
Management Is Much More Than a Science
September-October 2017
Harvard Business Review
September 2015
Harvard Business Review
Two Keys to Sustainable Social Enterprise
May 2015
Harvard Business Review
The Rise (and Likely Fall) of the Talent Economy
October 2014
HBR.org
Why Smart People Struggle with Strategy
June 12, 2014
Harvard Business Review
The Big Lie of Strategic Planning
January–February 2014
The New York Times
September 28, 2012
Harvard Business Review
Bringing Science to the Art of Strategy
September 2012
Harvard Business Review
Saving the Planet: A Tale of Two Strategies
April 2012
Harvard Business Review
June 2011
Harvard Business Review
The Age of Customer Capitalism
January/February 2010
Harvard Business Review
June 2007
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for Definition
Spring 2007
Harvard Business Review
Capital vs. Talent: The Battle That's Reshaping Business
July 2003
The Toronto Star
What Happened to Canada's Education Advantage
October 20, 2009
HBR.org
The Goldman Bonuses: I'm Shocked, Shocked
October 16, 2009
Design Observer
What is Design Thinking Anyway?
October 14, 2009
BusinessWeek
October 14, 2009
HBR.org
The 2009 Nobel Prize for Economics: Reading the Tea Leaves
October 13, 2009
Rotman Magazine
The Virtue Matrix Reloaded: What Can it Tell Us About Corporate Social Responsibility Now?
Fall 2009
The Globe & Mail
Time for Ottawa to Learn Business Hardball
August 3, 2009
HBR.org
Scrap Stock-Based Compensation and Go Back to Principles
July 10, 2009
The Toronto Star
Running Risks on Scoreboard and Big Board
June 5, 2009
The Globe & Mail
The CRTC’s Dial is Stuck on Failure
May 25, 2009
The Financial Times
Managers Must be Judged on the Real Score
May 11, 2009
Rotman Magazine
Undermining Staying Power: The role of Unhelpful Management Theories
Spring 2009
HBR.org
April 30, 2009
HBR.org
April 9, 2009
Report on Canada 6
April 2009
The Toronto Star
Business Not Only Winner in Budget's Tax Changes
March 31, 2009
Working Paper 12
March 2009
The Globe & Mail
We Can Ride the Crisis Out On a Wave of Our Own Inventiveness
February 7, 2009
The Toronto Star
Ontario's Prosperity Hinges on Harnessing Creativity
February 5, 2009
Martin Prosperity Institute
February 2009
QFinance
Best Practices in Corporate Social Responsibility
2009
The Toronto Star
In Stormy Waters, Lean Into the Wind
December 30, 2008
Rotman Magazine
Choices, Conflict and the Creative Spark
Winter 2008
Annual Report 7
November 2008
Rotman Magazine
Capital vs. Talent: The Battle Rages On
Fall 2008
Working Paper 11
Flourishing in the Global Competitiveness Game
September 2008
Rotman Magazine
Balancing Multiple Stakeholders: What's a CEO to do? Roger Martin Interviews Gord Nixon
Spring 2008
Report on Canada 5
Setting Our Sights On Canada’s 2020 Prosperity Agenda
April 2008
Huffington Post
Becoming an Integrative Thinker: The Keys to Success
December 17, 2007
The Globe & Mail
November 19, 2007
Annual Report 6
Path To The 2020 Prosperity Agenda
November 2007
Working Paper 10
Prosperity, Inequality, and Poverty
September 2007
The Globe & Mail
Whoa, Canada: More Must Be Done to Protect Companies From Foreign Takeovers
July 2, 2007
BusinessWeek
Scientific Management is Past its Peak
May 21, 2007
Rotman Magazine
Underestimating the Risk of Status Quo
Spring 2007
The National Post
March 20, 2007
Report on Canada 4
Agenda for Canada’s Prosperity
March 2007
BusinessWeek
The Positive Spiral: Six Keys to Success
February 28, 2007
The Globe & Mail
February 14, 2007
Journal of Business Strategy
Design and Business: Why Can't We Be Friends
2007
BusinessWeek
Is Reality the Enemy of Innovation
December 4, 2006
Conference Board of Canada Corporate Social Responsibility Review
Creating a Virtue Matrix Strategy
Winter 2006
Rotman Magazine
The Canadian Health Care Mystery: Where Are the Exports?
Winter 2006
Annual Report 5
November 2006
FastCompany
Tough Love: Business Wants to Love Design, but it's an Awkward Romance
October 2006
The Toronto Star
The Intensity Gap: Are We Working Too Hard?
September 1, 2006
Rotman Magazine
Prosperity: A Function of Trust
Fall 2006
Working Paper 9
Time on the Job: Intensity and Ontario’s Prosperity Gap
September 2006
BusinessWeek
At the Crossroads of Design and Business
July 31, 2006
Rotman Magazine
Designing in Hostile Territory
Spring/Summer 2006
Harvard Business Review
Forethought: Directing For All The Wrong Reasons
June 2006
Report on Canada 3
Rebalancing Priorities For Canada’s Prosperity
March 2006
Business Week
February 22, 2006
BusinessWeek
January 15, 2006
The Globe & Mail
Don't Ask Voodoo to Solve our Productivity Problem
January 9, 2006
The Globe & Mail
A Sure Way to Lose to India and China: Assume We Have the Advantage
December 28, 2005
The Toronto Star
December 16, 2005
BusinessWeek
India and China: Not Just Cheap
December 12, 2005
Corporate Event Magazine
Event Measurement: Reliability vs. Validity
December 2005
Rotman Magazine
Validity vs. Reliability: Implications for Management
Winter 2005
BusinessWeek
Designing in Hostile Territory
November 17, 2005
Annual Report 4
Rebalancing Priorities For Prosperity
November 2005
The Toronto Star
Bridging Canada's Fiscal Divide
October 17, 2005
Working Paper 8
October 1, 2005
BusinessWeek
September 29, 2005
Rotman Magazine
Embedding Design Into Business
Fall 2005
BusinessWeek
Why Decisions Need Design, Part 2
August 31, 2005
Canadian Business
A Process for Developing a CSR Strategy for your Organization
August 29, 2005
Business Week
Why Decisions Need Design, Part 1
August 29, 2005
BusinessWeek
August 2, 2005
Canadian Business
Where to Begin: A Framework for Developing Your CSR Strategy
Summer 2005
Rotman Magazine
Spring/Summer 2005
Working Paper 7
March 2005
The Globe & Mail
Filling Impoverished Pockets: Good Plan, Devilish Strategy
February 25, 2005
The Globe & Mail
February 10, 2005
Harvard Business Review
Breakthrough Ideas for 2005: Validity vs. Reliability
February 2005
Innovation Policy and the Economy
Volume 5, 2005
Research Policy
Constructing Jurisdictional Advantage
Volume 34, 2005, 1235-1249
Report on Canada 2
Realizing Canada’s Prosperity Potential
January 2005
Rotman Magazine
Winter 2004
The Globe & Mail
November 15, 2004
Annual Report 3
Realizing Our Prosperity Potential
November 2004
The Globe & Mail
Corporate Slackers, Let's Roll
October 13, 2004
Working Paper 6
Reinventing Innovation and Commercialization Policy in Ontario
October 2004
Financial Post
September 14, 2004
Rotman Magazine
Our Love-Hate Relationship with Monetary Incentives
Fall 2004
Healthcare Quarterly
Aligning the Stars: Using Systems Thinking to (Re)Design Canadian Healthcare
Fall 2004
Working Paper 5
Strengthening Structures: Upgrading Specialized Support and Competitive Pressure
July 2004
The Globe & Mail
A Bright Light on a Bad Strategy
May 18, 2004
Rotman Magazine
Partnering for Investment in Canada's Future
Spring 2004
The National Post
February 18, 2004
Report on Canada 1
Partnering For Investment In Canada’s Prosperity
January 2004
Barron's
December 22, 2003
Rotman Magazine
The Fundamental Problem with Stock-Based Compensation
Winter 2003
Stanford Social Innovation Review
To the Rescue: Beating the Heroic Leadership Trap
Winter 2003
Annual Report 2
November 2003
The Globe & Mail
Commitment Phobia: Too Many Investors Are Treating Share Ownership Like Anonymous Sex
Oct. 2003
Rotman Magazine
Capital vs. Talent: The Battle That's Reshaping Business
Fall 2003
AFR (Australian Financial Review) Boss Magazine
September, 2003
John F. Kennedy School of Government Compass Journal
Fall 2003
Interviews
The Decision Lab
Creating Great Choices with Roger Martin
July 19, 2021
Life Science Leader
Do You (As A Leader) Create Great Choices?
July 31, 2019
Stitcher
Demystifying Organizations: Balancing Stakeholder Interests
June 21, 2019
ANR Newsletter
With Roger Martin – World’s #1 Management Thinker
December 21, 2018
HBR Ideacast
July 31, 2018
The Reading Lists
Roger Martin: Reading to Unlock Mysteries
May 31, 2018
Talks at Google
Roger L. Martin: "Creating Great Choices: A Leader's Guide to Integrative Thinking"
December 18, 2017
Actionable Books
The 21st Century Workplace Podcast
December 20, 2017
The Learning Leader
Episode 190: Roger Martin - Playing to Win: Strategy Is A Choice
February 12, 2017
HBR
January-February 2017 Issue
BizEd
February 23, 2016
Monocle.com
December 30, 2015
Tonyloyd.com
Changing the World One Model at a Time
November 30, 2015
Inside HR
Design Thinking 101 for HR: How to help your CEO drive strategy
November 24, 2015
Changeboard.com
Roger Martin: Strategy is choice
November 9, 2015
U of T News
Social Entrepreneurship Explained
November 2, 2015
Invetech
Taking Innovation Outcomes to the Next Level — An Interview With Roger Martin
October 29, 2015
CBC Metro Morning
October 12, 2015
Outlook Business
September 2, 2015
BFM 89.9 The Business Station
Raise your Game: Playing to Win
August 27, 2015
Innovation Hub
What Threatens the Talent Economy
December 12, 2014
Val 202
December 9, 2014
CBC - Metro Morning
November 25, 2014
Huff Post Business
Want To Make A Difference? Don't Be A Hedge Fund Manager
November 24, 2014
The Economist
April 9, 2013
Mind Tools
National Magazine
Rotman Magazine
Thought Leader Interview: Roger Martin
Fall 2013
DMI: Review
Summer 2013
delawareonline
What I am Reading this Summer and Why You Should, Too
June 20, 2013
Odgers Berndtson
May 30, 2013
Rotman Magazine
Coaching High Performance: Lessons from Veterans in Two Arenas
Spring 2013
Forbes India
Strategy Needs a Mix of Data and Logic: Roger Martin
April, 16, 2013
Business World
Analytical Thinking Is Stifling Innovation
March 25, 2013
Inc.com
4 Key Things Great Strategic Thinkers Do
March 11, 2013
Business Insider
PROFESSOR: 'JC Penney Serves No Compelling Customer Purpose'
March 11, 2013
Business Standard
Every new idea cannot be proven in advance: Roger L Martin
February 24, 2013
Live Mint
Roger Martin | The Master Strategist
February 17, 2013
The Sunday Times
Win the strategy game in five steps
February 10, 2013
Business Insider
P&G's Legendary Ex-CEO Explains Why Everyone Gets Strategy Wrong
February 5, 2013
Forbes
Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works
February 4, 2013
Inc.com
Rule for Success: Choose Your Playing Field
February 2013
Forbes
Is Everyone Nuts? P&G Now A Dog? And Unilever A Star?
January 11, 2013
Havard Business Review
What the NHL Lockout Reveals About Capital and Labor
January 11, 2013
DNA India
'Capitalism is not as Smartly Managed as Cricket'
October 8, 2012
Innovation Excellence
Balancing Intuition with Analysis
June 15, 2012
Forbes
Fighting The Kool-Aid Of Stock-Based Compensation: Q&A With Roger Martin
January 3, 2012
The Business Times
July 26, 2011
The Straights Times
Design Thinking Gives Firms an Edge
July 20, 2011
Forbes.com
Redesigned Thinking for Diverse Brains!
February 10, 2011
Ideaconnection.com
February 6, 2011
Be You Blog
January 15, 2011
Bobmorris.biz
September 16, 2010
Steelcase Threesixty Magazine
On Innovation and Why Companies Struggle with It
June 2010
DNA Money (Mumbai, India)
Why Companies Get Trapped Into Doing What They Are Good At,
February 8, 2010
Open Forum Blog
The Design of Business, an Interview with Roger Martin
November 4, 2009
Gelatobaby Interview
2009 AIGA Make/Think Conference
October 9, 2009
AIC Institute for Corporate Citizenship
March 3, 2009
DNA (Bangalore Edition)
Great Leaders are Integrative Thinkers
January 29, 2009
Financial Times
March 25, 2008
Dealing with Intuitive, Non-Strategists
Apr 28, 2025
The Myth of Objectivity & Strategy
Apr 21, 2025
Stop Working for Loser Strategists
Apr 14, 2025
