image: Prof. George Newman is a psychologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management who studies creativity, identity, and the construction of meaning. Previously, he held joint appointments in management, psychology, and cognitive science at Yale University. He has published more than 60 articles in leading academic journals, with his research widely featured in outlets such as The New York Times, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He also teaches executive seminars on marketing and management topics. In January he was named to the Thinkers 50 Radar 2026 list of 30 up-and-coming thinkers whose ideas are predicted will make an important impact on management thinking in the future.
Credit: George Newman
Toronto – A book by George Newman, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, has been named as one of Thinkers50 best new management books for 2026. Thinkers50 announced the list of ten books today which is a selection of the most insightful and impactful titles shaping the future of business and organizations.
How Great Ideas Happen The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success, was published earlier this year by Simon & Schuster. In the book Prof. Newman draws on cutting-edge research to show that creativity isn’t magic, it’s method. The most successful innovators don’t wait to be struck by brilliance; their creative process is more like archeology. As keen-eyed explorers, they scan the terrain, dig with intention, and, with a little luck, find gold.
Prof. Newman is a psychologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Toronto who studies creativity, identity, and the construction of meaning. Previously, he held joint appointments in management, psychology, and cognitive science at Yale University. He has published more than 60 articles in leading academic journals, with his research widely featured in outlets such as The New York Times, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He also teaches executive seminars on marketing and management topics. In January he was named to the Thinkers 50 Radar 2026 list of 30 up-and-coming thinkers whose ideas are predicted will make an important impact on management thinking in the future.
Founded in 2001 by business journalists Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer, Thinkers50 began as the first global
Ranking of Management Thinkers. Over the past quarter century, it has grown into a worldwide platform and a
vibrant Community. Today, Thinkers50 encompasses the Distinguished Achievement Awards alongside the Hall of Fame, Radar, Coaching Legends, Leaders50, Coaches50, and curated Booklists. The Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala has been described by the Financial Times as the “Oscars of management thinking.”
For more information on Thinkers50 please visit www.thinkers50.com.
Bringing together high-impact faculty research and thought leadership on one searchable platform, the Rotman Insights Hub offers articles, podcasts, opinions, books and videos representing the latest in management thinking and providing insights into the key issues facing business and society. Visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca/insightshub.
The Rotman School of Management is part of the University of Toronto, a global centre of research and teaching excellence at the heart of Canada’s commercial capital. Rotman is a catalyst for transformative learning, insights and public engagement, bringing together diverse views and initiatives around a defining purpose: to create value for business and society. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca
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For more information:
Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
University of Toronto
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca