Giants
“If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.”~ Sir Isaac Newton
Over the years my work has been inspired and informed by a number of great men – and women. I dedicate this page to them.
Who are your “Giants”? Please leave a comment.
And although this collection presents folks who have influenced, inspired and informed me personally, please let me know if you think I missed anyone, and I’ll update.
– Bob
Think Different
Eli Goldratt
Thanks for reminding me. Glaring omission. :}
– Bob
Chris Argyris, Donald Schon, and now Roger Schwarz
Martin Luther King, Jr. (who was influenced by Gandhi but had his own distinct approach)
Mother Theresa
Morton Deutsch
David Cooperrider
Bill Torbert
Joe Juran
Bob Marshall
Thanks! But can’t be my own giant. :}
– Bob
How about Virginia Satir?
Not a giant for me. Some others may have a different opinion. I certainly appreciate her work and insights.
– Bob
Jesus of Nazareth
By any chance have you overlooked Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland, Kent Beck, Karl Popper.
Or they aren’t your giants?
I see your difficulty… there are so many giants.
Thanks for contributing. Never did like Popper much, although maybe Karl Marx or Carl Rogers might be good additions. The other chaps are all lovely in their own way but not amongst my Giants.
– Bob
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Drucker?
Yes. Peter Drucker. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker
E.F. Schumacher – author of “Small is Beautiful”
YES! Bob, can Imagine this being on of yours as well.
Also, Henri Bertoft and Ian Parker could be or become giants of yours.
Philipp
Ricardo Semler?
Thanks for the suggestion. I can understand why you might propose him. And indeed his writings have provided me with much inspiration, not to mention happiness. Insights though? Not so much.
So for me a borderline case.
– Bob
Bob could I nominate Dee Hock for his work on chaordic worlds and how he’s strived to make a real difference!
and that out of all of the folk here he did actually build a trillion dollar business with a different mindset and perspective in its early days
Tony Robbins, Watts Humphrey
oh, and Paolo Freire, Chomsky and Goethe are certainly on my list.
How about Gregory Bateson or Michael Polanyi?
So very happy you included Morihei Ueshiba. His student Akira Tohei came to Chicago to start the very first Aikido federation in the U.S. One of his students is my instructor in Kansas City. Humbled to have the Aikikai lineage here where I live.
Fernando Flores
Edgar Schein
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Peter Drucker, yes I agree and George Leonard
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Douglas McGregor?
Thanks for the suggestion. I cite Douglas McGregor often, but he doesn’t quite make my list of greats, mainly because so few people act on his insights. Not his fault, I know.