Michael B. Horn

I strive to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions, fulfill their potential, and live a life of purpose. My latest book, Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career, shines a light on how individuals and companies can both make real progress by better understanding what causes individuals to switch jobs and supporting those journeys. My work in higher education focuses on helping colleges and universities chart a more sustainable future that supports the different goals of learners and society. And my long-time work in K-12 learning, grounded in my most recent book, From Reopen to Reinvent, aims to create a learner-centered, positive-sum education model that helps all individuals experience success and build mastery.

While a second-year student at the Harvard Business School, Clay Christensen’s class in the Fall of 2005 changed my life. The theories changed how I saw the world. They explained puzzles that had stumped me and gave me a circumstance-specific way to understand how to innovate predictably and successfully. One November day after class, Clay announced that he was writing a book applying his ideas to public K–12 education and he was looking for a co-author. I stopped by after class to learn more—and some months later he signed me up to join me in a journey that changed the trajectory of my life. We authored Disrupting Class and co-founded the Christensen Institute to transform the world. I also developed a personal mission: to build a world in which all individuals can build their passions, fulfill their potential, and live a life of purpose

The theories I learned and have continued to study along with Clay’s example and fundamental wisdom and humility continue to shape every step along my journey—professionally and personally. They drive my desire to see new organizations emerge that put the progress of individuals at their center. They shape my advice to existing organizations to improve the ways they operate and support individuals. They help me maintain hope for a brighter future for societies all across the globe. And they give me a way to dive into problems and solutions at all levels—whether for K-12 students, those seeking more education after high school, or those navigating a rapidly changing world of work.

Experience

• Co-founder, Distinguished Fellow, and Chairman, the Christensen Institute
• Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard University
• Future of Learning Advisory Board Chair and Senior Advisor, Guild Education
• Yale University, AB
• Harvard Business School, MBA