I first became familiar with the works of C.K. Prahalad when I was studying my MBA in the early 2000’s. He greatly influenced my thinking and I made numerous quotes and references to his work in my thesis on network alliances. For me C.K. Prahalad was a genius who captured the realities of the new world of work and saw into the future like few others. I was saddened to read about him passing away. You can watch a video of this brilliant man accepting the HBR Mckinsey award and listen to some of his final thoughts on the future of business. C.K. Prahalad believed that extraordinary opportunities and innovations exist to service 4 billion new consumers in emerging markets. Personally I believe that time will prove him right and that the rainbow is at the bottom of the pyramid.
Here are some of his most influencial articles which have influenced and shaped my thinking, thank you C.K. Prahalad:
Best Practice can get you only so far
The Responsible Manager
Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of Innovation
The Core Competence of the Corporation